Iran tested advanced nuclear warhead design
With all of the smoke, we don't really know what's true about Iran's nuclear program, but this, coming from the IAEA, sounds pretty legit.
The Iranians reportedly tested the non-nuclear part of a two point implosion weapons design which matters because multi-point implosion is key to shrinking weapons so they require less fissile material and can fit on warheads. (I'm guessing they assembled and timed the rapid explosives. No word on whether the electronics and other elements were made into a warhead sized package.)
This comes from El Baradei who seems convinced, so I'd guess it's pretty real. Assuming the test worked, this would change the timeline/threat from Iranian enrichment, and could potentially shift the worldwide proliferation game if the Iranians chose to share their findings.
(It's interesting that we're learning all these new facts (like the Qum enrichment faclity) since the Obama folks came into office. All of this appears to have been at least substantially suspected under the Bush folks, and yet, despite their warlike stance in Iran, they seem to have held lots of information back.)
There's also the question of whether Iran wants actual weapons or the ability to have a "latent" nuclear program like Japan or South Korea who don't have nuclear wepons, but have the technology and ability to assemble them in months.
The Iranians reportedly tested the non-nuclear part of a two point implosion weapons design which matters because multi-point implosion is key to shrinking weapons so they require less fissile material and can fit on warheads. (I'm guessing they assembled and timed the rapid explosives. No word on whether the electronics and other elements were made into a warhead sized package.)
This comes from El Baradei who seems convinced, so I'd guess it's pretty real. Assuming the test worked, this would change the timeline/threat from Iranian enrichment, and could potentially shift the worldwide proliferation game if the Iranians chose to share their findings.
(It's interesting that we're learning all these new facts (like the Qum enrichment faclity) since the Obama folks came into office. All of this appears to have been at least substantially suspected under the Bush folks, and yet, despite their warlike stance in Iran, they seem to have held lots of information back.)
There's also the question of whether Iran wants actual weapons or the ability to have a "latent" nuclear program like Japan or South Korea who don't have nuclear wepons, but have the technology and ability to assemble them in months.
posted by mikevotes at
6:49 AM
1 Comments:
They've known about Qum for years. Enrichment to processing standards is only a small fraction of enriching to fission standards.
The thing that kills me is this. Leaving aside the fact that all nuclear technology is not the same : no more than it was when Iraq was processing fertilizer and it was WMD to the gullible who didn't research anything. The Arms Control Wonk tore that bit of silliness to shreds BTW.
Russia is providing Iran with the plant and the fuel.
Does the phrase 'Cuban Missile Crisis' ring any bells ?
Yeah. The U.S.A. had smartly installed nuclear missiles in Turkey - a NATO ally - where Russia didn't have a hope of any sort of warning for a retaliatory strike. So they gave Fidel the oil that was missing because the US had embargoed the place and they built submarine pens.
Raised a fair ruckus. You'd think people would consider that lesson when flogging the idea that Russia is INSTALLING A NUCLEAR THREAT IN THEIR BACKYARD !
Not bloody likely, chum.
By
opit, at 11:17 PM
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