Monday, August 23, 2010

Ahmadinejad is a step closer to his goal of setting off a nuclear apocalypse


If reports are accurate, the Islamic Republic of Iran will begin feeding uranium into its first and only nuclear power plant.

The moment this “irreversible step” is taken, stated Sergei Novikov, a spokesman for the Russian nuclear agency assisting Tehran, the “Bushehr plant will be officially considered a nuclear energy installation.” If all goes well, Iran will be producing fissile material by October.

Across the world, news of Bushehr’s activation has been met with emotions ranging from apathy to alarm. The indifferent argue that Bushehr’s activation was merely a matter of time, and that the facility will not pose a significant threat because it will be used for the production of nuclear energy for civilian consumption. Many others, such as Michael Anton in the Weekly Standard, are deeply concerned because Bushehr, once fueled and operating, “will produce plutonium 239, which can be used to make nuclear weapons.”

While there is dissension over the tangible contributions a fully operational Bushehr will provide to Iran’s nuclear weapons program, any thinking person can see that Saturday’s activation is a milestone in Iran’s quest for nukes. Speaking to the Jerusalem Post this week, John Bolton, the former U.S. ambassador to the UN, warned that this is a “very, very big victory for Iran. This is a huge threshold.”

Many agree that inside Iran the opening of Bushehr will provide a moral and psychological boost to supporters of both the conservative regime and the nuclear program. On the global playing field, Bushehr’s activation will be seen as a symbolic victory for Iran in its confrontation with America and the West over its quest for nuclear weapons. But it also comes with ramifications beyond politics.

Ultimately, the advancement of the Iranian nuclear program thrusts Mahmoud Ahmadinejad one step closer to achieving his goal of setting off nuclear Armageddon.

http://standeyo.com/NEWS/10_World/100822.nuclear.armageddon.html