Iran: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Defies World Over Uranium Enrichment
THE TELEGRAPH: President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has announced that Iran is producing its first uranium enriched to 20 per cent, defying the world to stop him.

"I want to announce with a loud voice here that the first package of 20 per cent fuel was produced and provided to the scientists," he told a crowd of hundreds of thousands celebrating the 31st anniversary of the Islamic Republic in Tehran.

He said the uranium enrichment plant in the city of Natanz was capable of enriching to the much higher levels necessary to build a nuclear weapon and could triple its production of low-enriched uranium.

But he insisted that the country did not intend to construct a device.

"When we say we do not manufacture the bomb, we mean it, and we do not believe in manufacturing a bomb," he said. "If we wanted to manufacture a bomb, we would announce it. Our nation has the courage to explicitly say it and build it and not fear you."

He went to attack the West's attempts to curtail Iran's nuclear programme.

"We told them the Iranian nation will never give in to bullying and illogical remarks," he said.

Mr Ahmadinejad's decision to press ahead with enrichment would appear to put an end to a negotiated settlement put forward by the International Atomic Energy Agency to swap Iran's low-enriched uranium for prepared fuel rods for a medical research reactor in Tehran. >>> Richard Spencer, Middle East Correspondent | Thursday, February 11, 2010

THE INDEPENDENT: Huge rallies as Iran proclaims 'nuclear state': Hundreds of thousands of government supporters today massed in central Tehran to mark the anniversary of the revolution that created Iran's Islamic republic - while president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad chose the day to proclaim his nation is now a "nuclear state". >>> Associated Press | Thursday, February 11, 2010

Ahmadinejad Declares End to Debate Over Iran's Nuclear Ambitions
TIMES ONLINE: Barack Obama’s hopes of persuading Iran to renounce its nuclear ambitions were dashed today as the United Nations watchdog admitted it had reached a “stalemate” with Tehran and President Ahmadinejad declared the nuclear debate “over”.

Mr Ahmadinejad’s show of defiance came as the board of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) gathered in Vienna to discuss Iran’s continuing failure to answer lingering questions about an alleged military dimension to its nuclear programme.

The Iranian leader vowed to forge ahead with uranium enrichment even as the clock ticked down to an end of September deadline set by Mr Obama for Tehran to resume negotiations with representatives of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany, the so-called five-plus-one.

While Iran would be willing to engage with the world on issues of global concern, the nuclear issue was off the table. “From our point of view, Iran’s nuclear issue is over,” Mr Ahmadinejad declared. >>> Catherine Philp, Diplomatic Correspondent | Monday, September 07, 2009

Christopher Hitchens: Iran’s Clock Ticking Towards Nuclear Weaponry

The Persian Paradox: Understanding Iran and Iranians

Iran Has Not Suspended Unranium Enrichment, Says IAEA
BBC: The UN nuclear watchdog has said Iran has provided it with information about its past nuclear activities as agreed under a work plan made in August.

But a new IAEA report also said Iran had not suspended uranium enrichment work as demanded by the UN Security Council and had 3,000 centrifuges.

The US said it proved Tehran continued to defy UN calls to suspend enrichment and should face further sanctions. UN mixed on Iran nuclear report (more)

IAEA Report (PDF)

Download PDF Reader here

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG:
Interview Norman Podhoretz: Warum wir Iran bombardieren müssen

Mark Alexander

Ahmadinejad! It’s War If You Don’t Stop Uranium Enrichment
BBC: French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner says the world should prepare for war over Iran's nuclear programme.

"We have to prepare for the worst, and the worst is war," Mr Kouchner said in an interview on French TV and radio.

Mr Kouchner said negotiations with Iran should continue "right to the end", but an Iranian nuclear weapon would pose "a real danger for the whole world". France warning of war with Iran (more) »

Mark Alexander

Iran Will Not Suspend Enrichment
THE GUARDIAN: · Weapons treaty at risk if UN increases sanctions
· Threat paired with olive branch to atom watchdog
Iran warned yesterday that it would consider taking "illegal" steps, including possible abrogation of the non-proliferation treaty, if further UN sanctions are imposed because of its nuclear programme.

The warning was given by a senior Iranian official in an increasingly fraught war of nerves with the US and its allies over Iran's enrichment of uranium.

However, it was accompanied by an olive branch, a promise by Iran's chief negotiator to give a comprehensive account of its nuclear past to the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA.

Tehran has made clear that it will not suspend enrichment as the UN security council has demanded, despite two earlier rounds of financial, travel and arms sanctions. A decision on a third round has been put off until September. "If there is another resolution, we will react with whatever we have," the senior official told western journalists. "So far we have answered legally, limiting [UN] inspections, and reducing cooperation with the IAEA within the legal framework.

"But if there is no legal option left, it is obvious we will be tempted to do illegal things. What is very important to us is our dignity, and we are prepared to act." Iran raises stakes in war of nerves over enriching uranium (more) By Julian Borger in Tehran

Mark Alexander

Ahmadinejad like “a 21st century Adolf Hitler” says Bush. Iran must be stopped from obtaining nuclear weapons, by military means if necessary, says John Bolton
TELEGRAPH: Iran should be attacked before it develops nuclear weapons, America's former ambassador to the United Nations said yesterday.

John Bolton, who still has close links to the Bush administration, told The Daily Telegraph that the European Union had to "get more serious" about Iran and recognise that its diplomatic attempts to halt Iran's enrichment programme had failed.

Iran has "clearly mastered the enrichment technology now...they're not stopping, they're making progress and our time is limited", he said. Economic sanctions "with pain" had to be the next step, followed by attempting to overthrow the theocratic regime and, ultimately, military action to destroy nuclear sites. We must attack Iran before it gets the bomb (more) By Toby Harnden

Ticking down to a nuclear Iran By David Blair

Mark Alexander

Truculent Ahmadinejad Remains Defiant in Face of World Pressure to Halt Uranium Enrichment
YNET NEWS: President Ahmadinejad quoted as saying Iran 'won't retreat one step', accuses enemies of 'psychological war'

Iran will not be pushed by sanctions to suspend work on its disputed nuclear program, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Saturday, two days after six world powers met to discuss Iran's defiance of UN demands.

Senior officials from the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany met in Berlin on Thursday to discuss Iran's refusal to halt its uranium enrichment work, as demanded by the UN Security Council. Iran says won’t bow to sanctions over atomic work (more)

Mark Alexander