tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7764151925164944873.post8164601260481911717..comments2023-10-18T06:32:35.535-04:00Comments on Oy...My Valve!: Israel's Iran Window Closing This WeekShtueyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05611947223509549389noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7764151925164944873.post-74221459921702022302010-08-16T17:00:27.459-04:002010-08-16T17:00:27.459-04:00All kinds of rumors are circulating. The main con...All kinds of rumors are circulating. The main concern with Busheir is that no one knows for certain whether Iran possesses the technology to extract the plutonium from the spent rods before they are turned over to the Russians.<br /><br />It has also been announced that Iran will begin construction of its next enrichment facility. <br /><br />The United States and Israel have been uncharacteristically quiet about the Russian announcement. There's no telling what will happen.Shtueyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05611947223509549389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7764151925164944873.post-58095869057221305242010-08-16T16:27:06.466-04:002010-08-16T16:27:06.466-04:00I just read George Will's latest. He mentioned...I just read George Will's latest. He mentioned Israel would go after Iran within 2 years. Huh? If the Busheir reactor is important, it's now or never. Iran has other facilities that produce Pu. We keep hearing about U enrichment but nothing about the possibility of a Pu-based bomb. We also aren't being told about Iran's ICBM capability.<br /><br />So, I agree, take it all out ASAP. Maybe the US will be forced to help.Ronnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7764151925164944873.post-44235503919680929012010-08-16T07:02:13.661-04:002010-08-16T07:02:13.661-04:00If we were dealing with the realm of the "nor...If we were dealing with the realm of the "normal" it wouldn't be that big a deal...or would it? Sure, Russia SAYS it will be reprocessing the fuel rods. They also said they would not bring the reactor online this year. Now they say they will have it up and running by mid-September. The agreements of Russians and Iranians are worth about as much as the paper they are written on. And who exactly is going to verify this...the IAEA? That's like trusting UNIFIL to prevent Hezbollah from rearming. <br /><br />There are a lot of "ifs" and wishful thinking in letting this take place.<br /><br />The Russians knew going in that this was going to be a dangerous prospect. Russia's equivalent of Excelon is building it. I would imagine that they expect to be paid by Iran whether the plant is destroyed or not. As long as they get paid what does Russia care? But can Iran pay with it's economy rapidly going down the crapper?<br /><br />Ask yourself this. If Israel moved against Iran's nuclear program would they simply leave the plant intact because of a reprocessing agreement with Russia? Of course they wouldn't. Is Russia going to go to war with Israel over Busheir? I doubt it. Will Israel come out of this unscathed? Not with Hezbollah, Hamas, Syria, and Turkey as Iran's satellites.<br /><br />A point of no return arrives on Saturday. No analysis is good, and every action is potentially bad. Doing nothing is potentially the worst option.<br /><br />We are dealing with a regime that believes that it is okay for every Iranian man woman and child to die in the service of Islam. If memory serves it was the Ayatollah who said Iran could burn if it helped Islam.Shtueyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05611947223509549389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7764151925164944873.post-79282655328273686692010-08-16T03:40:46.706-04:002010-08-16T03:40:46.706-04:00I never considered that reactor a threat consideri...I never considered that reactor a threat considering the fuel was supplied by Russia and once spent, would be sent back to Russia for reprocessing. It takes 3 years for the fuel to "cool down" before in can be reprocessed into usable fuel rods. Fuel rods are low yield uranium processed to about 3.5%. Iran can't make fuel rods for that reactor, only Russia can.<br /><br />The fuel rods stay in the reactor for some period of time before they have to be replaced. Since Russia has to do the reprocessing, it's doubtful it'd give Iran the Pu byproducts.<br /><br />If Busheir isn't an issue for Israel, the 8/21 date is irrelevant. If it is an important issue, is 4 days enough? Considering what Russia has put into that power plant, would Israel risk their ire by blowing it up?<br /><br />Iran's nuke efforts must be stopped but I'm not sure blowing up that reactor is the way to do it.Ronnoreply@blogger.com