Iran, Renegade Nation, Progressing on Nukes [Death to Iran! Bomb Iran NOW!]

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2007/5/20/154129.shtml?s=os

Official: Iran Progressing on Nukes

NewsMax.com Wires Monday, May 21, 2007

TEHRAN, Iran -- The head of Iran's nuclear effort said Sunday that the

Islamic republic's nuclear program was moving ahead as scheduled and

reiterated that Tehran would not suspend uranium enrichment, the country's

official news agency IRNA reported.

The comments by Reza Aqazadeh, vice president and head of Iran's Atomic

Energy Organization, came just days before the Vienna-based International

Atomic Energy Agency is expected to submit its latest report on Iran's

nuclear program to the U.N. Security Council early this week.

"I confirm that our technical efforts are going ahead appropriately," IRNA

quoted Aqazadeh as saying. "Improving nuclear technology and the

installation and operation of 50,000 centrifuges are our aim."

Iran announced in April that it had begun to operate 3,000 centrifuges - 10

times the previously announced number - but the international community

responded to the claim with skepticism. Tehran has said its ultimate goal is

to have 50,000 centrifuges running at its underground facility in Natanz.

Later in April, The Associated Press obtained a confidential IAEA document

saying that Iran was using 1,300 centrifuges at Natanz to enrich uranium,

less than Tehran's official claim, but still significant progress. Aqazadeh

did not mention a specific number of centrifuges on Sunday.

In the enrichment process, uranium gas is injected into cascades of

thousands of centrifuges, which spin and purify it. If enriched to a low

level, the result is fuel for a nuclear reactor. To a much higher level it

can build the material for a nuclear warhead.

The U.S. and some of its allies have accused Iran of secretly developing

nuclear weapons and have demanded the country suspend its enrichment

activities prior to any negotiations.

Iran has maintained that its program is peaceful and has said it will not

stop enrichment despite two sets of U.N. sanctions and the threat of more.

The U.N Security Council has set deadline of late May for Iran to suspend

enrichment or face additional sanctions.

Both Aqazadeh and Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini

reiterated on Sunday that Iran would not halt enrichment as a precondition

to negotiations.

"We do continue this trend (enrichment) and we will not stop it," said

Hosseini at his weekly press briefing.

Hosseini also confirmed Sunday that Iran's top nuclear negotiator, Ali

Larijani, had agreed to meet European Union foreign policy chief Javier

Solana on May 31 to discuss the deadlock over Tehran's nuclear program.

Solana last held talks in April with Larijani, who said at the time they had

come closer to a "united view" on how to break the stalemate.