How about those Iranians, anyway? What do you think they're up to?

[DaShi]

Iran claims that its nuclear program peaceful and that they are not trying to develop nuclear weapons. The EU and US, say that they are. What do you think, and why?

This is not a what should be done about Iran thread. This is a what do you think Iran is doing thread. So please try to stay on topic.

[Drake Tungsten]

I like The Mercer Report.

[Jon Miller]

If I were them I would want nuclear weapons so that they wouldn't have to fear the US getting all up in their **** anymore.

JM

[Ramo]

They probably do want nukes. They're probably about a decade away from actual weapons.

But they also want nuclear power. Since oil actually isn't an infinite resource. And besides, they can export more oil if they were able to rely more on nuclear power. We actually gave them assistance on this matter when Shah Pahlevi was in power,

[DAVOUT]

Under the rule of the current President, it looks like a show for Islamic use (challenging the saudi leadership for instance).

[BeBMan]

Re: How about those Iranians, anyway? What do you think they're up to?

Originally posted by DaShi
Iran claims that its nuclear program peaceful and that they are not trying to develop nuclear weapons. The EU and US, say that they are. What do you think, and why?

They're protecting there huge amounts of sand, esp. after they saw they US stealing Iraq's sand.

[techumseh]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
I like The Mercer Report.

Piss off! This is about which Iranian political comedy show is best: The Holy Show, or the Bozorgmehr Repehr.

[Drake Tungsten]

The Repehr is obviously superior; Bozorgmehr does a spot-on impression of the crazed mullahs he's trying to parody. The Revolutionary Guards should be paying him a visit any time now.

[Sandman]

I wonder if the US will put that proposed Iranian oil exchange out of action? It's on an island, after all. Easy target for the Marines.

[Harry Tuttle]

They want nuclear energy so they can make bombs and intimidate their neighbors. The idea that they want to use nuclear expertise for nuclear power is wishful thinking. They have plenty of oil, all of which can be used to power their current electrical needs. Even if they wanted to export more the price of each barrel would be totally out of their hands making it a crap shoot.

Think of it this way. Iran has never been a nation of environmentalists or for that matter futurists. They don't care about the pollution given off from burning oil. They have enough stock to supply their plants for the foreseeable future. They don't care about supply problems 100 years from now.

Pure and simple, Iran doesn't need a nuke program for economical or environmental reasons. They need a nuke program for political reasons.

[techumseh]

Sure they want nuclear weapons. Most of their neighbors have them, why not them?

[Kontiki]

Originally posted by techumseh
Most of their neighbors have them

They do? I count Pakistan as their only immediate neighbour with nukes, with Israel, Russia and India being in the general vacinity. Of all of those, I believe only Israel is of concern for the Iranians, and purely because the Iranians hate them.

[SlowwHand]

Iran Enriches Uranium, Ex-Leader Says
AP - 30 minutes ago
TEHRAN, Iran - Iran has successfully enriched uranium for the first time, a major development in its quest to develop nuclear fuel, former President Hashemi Rafsanjani said Tuesday. Current President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad added that the country "will soon join the club of countries with nuclear technology." The U.N. Security Council has demanded that Iran stop all uranium enrichment activity by April 28. Iran has rejected the demand, saying it has a right to develop the process

[Flip McWho]

I think they're after nuclear weapons too. And nuclear power.

They have ambitions as a world power, and world powers have nukes. Thus they want nukes.

Don't really think they'd do anything with them.

Whose insane enough to nuke Israel? The moment the Iranians let one fly the Israeli's will let them all fly back again, not too mention the yankees. Does anyone really doubt the Israeli' will shoot back? It'd be MAD to launch.

[Winston]

I just checked, they don't even have a word for neucular in Farsi.

But they do have 63 different words for "posturing", and 32 for "big stick".