Nuclear Power Truths
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| 2 | 28.01.2013 | Explosion | Iran | Province of Qom, [Fordow Nuclear Facility] |  |
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Explosion in Iran on Saturday, 26 January, 2013 at 05:04 (05:04 AM) UTC.
| Description | |
| (WARNING! This is information absolute not confirmed!) An explosion deep within Iran’s Fordow nuclear facility has destroyed much of the installation and trapped about 240 personnel deep underground, according to a former intelligence officer of the Islamic regime. The previously secret nuclear site has become a center for Iran’s nuclear activity because of the 2,700 centrifuges enriching uranium to the 20-percent level. A further enrichment to weapons grade would take only weeks, experts say. The level of enrichment has been a major concern to Israeli officials, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeatedly has warned about the 20-percent enriched stockpile. The explosion occurred Monday, the day before Israeli elections weakened Netanyahu’s political control. Iran, to avoid alarm, had converted part of the stockpile to fuel plates for use in the Tehran Research Reactor. However, days after the recent failed talks with the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iranian officials announced the enrichment process will not stop even “for a moment.”
The regime’s uranium enrichment process takes place at two known sites: the Natanz facility with more than 10,000 centrifuges and Fordow with more than 2,700. The regime currently has enough low-grade (3.5 percent) uranium stockpiled for six nuclear bombs if further enriched. However, more time is needed for conversion of the low-grade uranium than what would be needed for a stockpile at 20 percent. It takes 225 kilograms of enriched uranium at the 20-percent level to further enrich to the 90-percent level for one nuclear bomb. According to a source in the security forces protecting Fordow, an explosion on Monday at 11:30 a.m. Tehran time rocked the site, which is buried deep under a mountain and immune not only to airstrikes but to most bunker-buster bombs. The report of the blast came via Hamidreza Zakeri, formerly with the Islamic regime’s Ministry of Intelligence and National Security, The blast shook facilities within a radius of three miles. Security forces have enforced a no-traffic radius of 15 miles, and the Tehran-Qom highway was shut down for several hours after the blast, the source said. As of Wednesday afternoon, rescue workers had failed to reach the trapped personnel. The site, about 300 feet under a mountain, had two elevators which now are out of commission. One elevator descended about 240 feet and was used to reach centrifuge chambers. The other went to the bottom to carry heavy equipment and transfer uranium hexafluoride. One emergency staircase reaches the bottom of the site and another one was not complete. The source said the emergency exit southwest of the site is unreachable. The regime believes the blast was sabotage and the explosives could have reached the area disguised as equipment or in the uranium hexafluoride stock transferred to the site, the source said. The explosion occurred at the third centrifuge chambers, with the high-grade enriched uranium reserves below them. The information was passed on to U.S. officials but has not been verified or denied by the regime or other sources within the regime. Though the news of the explosion has not been independently verified, other sources previously have provided WND with information on plans for covert operations against Iran’s nuclear facilities as an option before going to war. The hope is to avoid a larger-scale conflict. Israel, the U.S. and other allies already have concluded the Islamic regime has crossed its red line in its quest for nuclear weapons, other sources have said. |
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Explosion in Iran on Saturday, 26 January, 2013 at 05:04 (05:04 AM) UTC.
| Updated: | Monday, 28 January, 2013 at 03:49 UTC |
| Description | |
| A report claiming that a mysterious blast rocked the Fordow uranium enrichment facility in Iran last week made headlines in Israel on Sunday, but remained unverified. An Iranian official on Sunday night denied the reports, the Islamic Republic News Agency reported. The deputy head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization Seyyed Shamseddin Barbroudi was quoted by the IRNA as dismissing the report. According to the report, penned by former Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Reza Kahlili, for the WND.com website, the explosion “destroyed much of the installation and trapped about 240 personnel deep underground.” Kahlili, who says he turned CIA agent in the 1980s and 90s, cited a “source in the security forces protecting Fordow” as saying that the blast occurred last Monday at Fordow, which is located deep inside a mountain to protect it from aerial attack.
“The blast shook facilities within a radius of three miles. Security forces have enforced a no-traffic radius of 15 miles, and the Tehran- Qom highway was shut down for several hours after the blast,” the report added. The existence of the Fordow enrichment plant was kept secret by Iran, until it was discovered by Western intelligence in 2009, and the question of how long it had been in operation remains unanswered. Emily Landau, director of the Arms Control and Regional Security Project at the Tel Aviv-based Institute for National Security Studies, noted on Sunday that Iran is enriching uranium to 20 percent at Fordow, “and it raises concerns because it is buried deep in a mountain.” She added, “There have been many references to the fact that Israel doesn’t have strong enough bombs to penetrate it from the air, but the US MOP [massive ordnance penetrator] is reported to be able to penetrate it.” Landau added that reports surfaced six months ago saying that the MOP is operational. The shutting down of Fordow is one of the three demands made on Iran by the P5+1 nations during talks with the Islamic Republic. According to a 2011 IAEA report, Iran is testing detonators for nuclear blasts at its secret base in Parchin, and has refused to allow UN inspectors access to the site. |
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- Israeli minister welcomes report of huge blast at Iran nuclear plant (timesofisrael.com)
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Will this untimately prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear device, though? http://realpolitiknewswithviews.wordpress.com/2013/01/28/should-iran-get-the-bomb/
It depends on who you ask I would imagine. Some are convinced that Iran has already built a nuclear bomb. While others say there is absolutely no evidence of that. In either case money talks if they really wanted one and could not build it themselves what would keep them from buying what they need from the black market?
Israel has plenty of nuclear weapons I dont see anyone concerned about that with all the war mongering going on these days.
Those who would benefit are not above fear mongering either. After all the Nation that dropped the A Bomb was the US, most all bombs used in the military around the world contain depleted uranium. No one seems to have any qualms or concerns about contaminating others countries. So what is the worry? No one complains about the children of the middle east being born with horrible deformities or the illnesses caused because of the use of these weapons. However, everyone is on the edge of their seats worrying that Iran MIGHT have the capability of creating a nuclear weapon. I think people are focusing on the wrong things, quite honestly. Perhaps if we would stay the heck out of these other countries and let them settle their own disputes we would not have to worry about retaliation from Iran? Just a thought……..