CENTCOM commander says Iran is enriching uranium beyond any plausible peaceful purpose
CENTCOM Commander General James Mattis warned Tuesday that sanctions
and diplomatic efforts to stop Iran from gaining nuclear capabilities are not
working. Gen. Mattis told the Senate Armed Services Committee that Iran has a
history of denial and deceit and is enriching uranium beyond any plausible
peaceful purpose. He added that Iran is using the negotiations to buy time. (AP, 6 March)
Photo credit: USCENTCOM Commander General James Mattis (AP)
Photo credit: USCENTCOM Commander General James Mattis (AP)
31 comments:
Jamie boy has had many sleepless nights thinking about the eye-ranians eh?
I do realize that it is convenient to attack the messenger in order to divert attentions from the message. But such tactics do not change the seriousness of the subject discussed here. General Mattis’ concerns could be summed up in a single sentence from his Senate testimony: Iran is enriching uranium beyond any plausible peaceful purpose.
Please note that Iran has only a single nuclear power reactor, Bushehr. The Russians have already provided the fuel for the reactor. Iran says that it plans to build many more reactors. But construction of those reactors will take years if not decades to complete. So the question remains, Why is Iran rushing to enrich so much uranium when there are no plausible peaceful use for it in near future?
The argument that Iran is exercising its rights and showing the world that it could achieve enrichment at any level of purity does not help with the answer. Iran has already proven that it can enrich uranium and enriching even greater volumes does not prove anything more that it has already been proven.
Other plausible explanations: using the enriched uranium to prepare for what is commonly called the “Japan Option.” Being ready to build the bomb at a moment’s notice. Or, working toward building the bomb now. But Khamenei has repeated denied intentions to build nuclear weapons and in fact has issued a fatwa, religious decree, against it. Then these two explanations should be discarded.
What then? If Iran’s intentions are not a “Japan Option” nor making the bomb straight out, and considering it does not have any other use for the substantial amount of uranium it is enriching, then shouldn’t it come to an agreement with the P5+1 now if the West formally recognizes its rights and it could continue enrichment for its research use, and in future for its new reactors?
What is also important is that Iran can only wish for the 'Japan option' if it also behaves like Japan (after WW2); but the regime does not behave in such a manner that is worth calling trustworthy ...
An important exchange between Senator Graham and Gen. Mattis is left out is:
[quote]Gen. James Mattis of Central Command made the statement at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Tuesday.
"In your professional opinion, are the current diplomatic and economic efforts to stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons capability - are they working?" Sen. James Inhofe, an Oklahoma Republican, asked.
"No, sir," Mattis replied.
Mattis later told Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, that Iran's "nuclear industry continues."
"I think we have to continue sanctions, but have other options ready," Mattis replied.
Mattis said Iran might be able to be swayed by "a purely cost-benefit ratio."
"Between economic sanctions, diplomatic isolation, and encouragement of behavior that does not cost them such a degree of political support that they end up losing power, there may yet be a way to bring them to their senses," Mattis said.
Asked by Graham if the only other option is bringing them "to their knees," Mattis responded, "yes, sir."[/quote]
Nader, good points, always... however, for many reasons today sanctions are less effective and evidently Tehran believes that no substantive attack is near, hence the weakening utility of "all options remain on the table"... the joke now being right, they remain on the table. Learning from North Korean success - Tehran is emboldened it would appear- also, the EU - US and (Federal Reserve specifically) are extremely averse to the idea of an attack induced $200 oil environment- Russia? $$$ not so concerned. China? hurt some, but may be viewed as a valuable "investment" in checking US. i.e. Tehran simply does not believe that the bombs will drop. For many years the default strategy from Tehran has been "time and operations plausibly deniable". The idealistically well intentioned Neo Marxist south side of chicago president in the US does not discourage them either. So in summary- Tehran is acting with some measure of reasonable forethought? apparently so, to date...
It seems clear the goal of some people in the US government is not to reach a diplomatic solution with Iran but rather "Bring Iran to their Knees", as evident from Yesterday exchange in the Senate hearing.
There is no diplomatic solution possible as long as Khamenei refuses to talk.
And It should not go unnoticed that today Mashaei was loading his gun against Khamanei ; we have to see whether this attack becomes more explicit in the coming days...
http://www.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=13911216000820
This is exactly why Iran should actually go ahead and build the bomb. These bullies want to force us into submission and no honorable person allow a bully to dictate how they should live. I hope our leaders wake up and give up the stupid Fatwa and build a deterrence against these morons.
Iran needs to base its policies on the national interest of the country, not to give a lesson to the people it considers as bullies. I sincerely hope the Iranian leadership do not follow your advice that building the bomb to give such lessons is in national interests of the country.
So it's all a charade?
Although sounds simplistic, but unfortunately the history of Mankind and Iran shows us when a nation is economically, military, or security wise weak then it will get messed-up by someone on this planet.
Mr Uskowi when you have a regime that has the destruction of Iran and Iranian at mind you expect these occupying terrorists to care less about national interests?
True, Anonymous 5:16PM. The fact is that having nuclear weapons is a deterrent for a state, against being invaded by another. There is no threat of an American invasion for so-called "regime change", against North Korea.
Iran is indeed weak and attempting to assemble nuclear weapons will get Iran's government toppled.
It is in our national interests to prevent the bullies from threatening us and to make sure no one dare to attack us in the future.
Only rational option for Iran is to develop a strong nuclear deterrent. Contrary to daily nonsense on these out of touch blogs, the fact is that Iran is nuclear capable since 1998 and should now test a nuke and put these idiots to bed. How can "sanctions" work on a global energy giant in the heart of rising Asia? Buy a map and go figure.
You are right Anon 6:34 PM the dirty filthy parasitic Islamist regime has no love for anything Iranian or of Iran.
Don't forget that disgusting filth mullah Taeb said Syria is much more important than Khuzestan.Shows where this subhuman regimes loyalties lies.
Did you mean daily nonsense coming out of Khamenei's Leadership House; it's them that say Iran not only does not have any intention of making the bomb, but has issued a fatwa banning the work on nuclear weapon. Iran's foreign ministry also has said that the fatwa is binding on government's nuclear policy. Do you know something we don't, namely that all that talk and the fatwa are lies? If not, you need to take your anger to the Leadership House and the Iranian government!
Uskowi, besides the 'Japan option' and other geo-political reasons for Iran to develop a nuclear bomb, or in my opinion 'nuclear capacity', I believe Iran is using its nuclear program as a strategical tool in world power negotiations. Its a tool in which Iran has a 'leverage' over world powers, which it can use in order to gain something it couldn't have without it. Think about. One may argue that the current sanctions are only implanted because of Iran's nuclear defiance, but even without it, Iran would have probably faced sanctions anyway. Its merely because of Iran's geo-political actions in the region. If Iran didn't had a nuclear program, how could they gain world power attention? They wouldn't have any tools to counter these sanctions. Now they have, and if they use it in a smart way, they can ease of some significant sanctions. And if those sanctions are placed again in the future, Iran can simply start its nuclear program again.
Anon 8:55.....Sanctions are working.That's why Iran is only exporting 900,000 barrels of oil a day.
The reason why these sanctions are imposed on Iran is not so much to stop their enrichment of uranium, but rather break the government within. These sanctions are working well for the sole purpose as I stated above.
Z
Well, now that the US is nearing the realization of the idea of bringing Iran to its knees they might as well liberate the islands of Abu Musa, Greater and Lesser Tunbs. Those belong to the UAE (former Sharjah), they are actually occupied territories. From a military standpoint it's much easier to accomplish such a task than any other sort of venture against Iran.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seizure_of_Abu_Musa_and_the_Greater_and_Lesser_Tunbs
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_and_Lesser_Tunbs
http://arabsthink.com/2012/04/15/this-is-our-gulf-the-legacy-of-the-abu-musa-and-the-tunbs-dispute/
http://www.uaeinteract.com/news/default3.asp?ID=147
If talking, hacking, sanctioning, putting pressure, bullying, hoping regime change, killing of iranian nuclear scientists and threatening with military option are not working, so, what else? Barking(the best option since 1979)!
Go back into your kennel !
With or without this regime, Iranians will never give those islands to newly artificially created UAE. Or as Rafsanjani said: we will turn the Persian Gulf into a gulf of blood, before we will give those islands to Arabs.
Where did Rafsanjani say that,any source?
For those who missed out on past yet significant events:
Senate panel tearing Hagel a new one...and making sure he will forever remain subservient to Eretz Israel!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIdgMjGwXjY > Painful to watch.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FWt1LWN7W4 > The entire hearing.
Regarding an earlier episode from the Senate Armed Services Commitee:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IErsdvI4_eU&NR=1&feature=endscreen > Hagel get ripped at hearing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yW55f-HG9Dc > Bill Maher on Chuck Hagel's confirmation hearing.
Chuck Hagel grilled by Senators:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9t99XbZO9w > The whole hearing.
Still no source?
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