Peace in our time: A nuclear-bomb agreement with Iran?

[Little-Acorn]

This would be a great thing... if we could put any faith in it.

On par with England reaching a peace agreement with Hitler in 1938.

But... remember how that one actually turned out?

One difference: Hitler didn't have nukes.

I'm not hearing the least skepticism on the news as I type this.

I expect that to change VERY soon.

When I hear the following:

U.S. and other countries have sent inspectors into every plant associated with Iran's nuclear effot, and all of them report that they witnessed Iran's nuclear processing plants being shut down, the machinery removed, and ALL of Iran's nuclear capability being reduced to the levels demanded by the major world powers. Iran is now fully in compliance with the major powers' requirements.

Furthermore, Iran has fully agreed that the inspectors will stay in place, with complete ability to videotape, film, capture, and othewise record and broadcast everything going on in ALL plants at any time they want, with no interference.

When I hear that on all major news channels, THEN it will be "news".

Until then, it's just the "civilized" world falling for another middle Eastern lie. Hardly news at all.

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Iran, six world powers clinch breakthrough nuclear deal

Iran, six world powers clinch breakthrough nuclear deal

By Parisa Hafezi and Justyna Pawlak12 minutes ago

GENEVA (Reuters) - Iran and six world powers reached a breakthrough agreement early on Sunday to curb Tehran's nuclear program in exchange for limited sanctions relief, in a first step towards resolving a dangerous decade-old standoff.

The deal between the Islamic state and the United States, France, Germany, Britain, China and Russia was nailed down after more than four days of negotiations.

"We have reached an agreement," Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif announced on his Twitter feed. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius also confirmed the deal.

Iran will get access to $4.2 billion in foreign exchange as part of the accord, a Western diplomat said. No other details of the agreement were immediately available.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and foreign ministers of the five other world powers joined the negotiations with Iran early on Saturday as the two sides appeared to be edging closer to a long-sought preliminary agreement.

 

[AceRothstein]

Your other thread got moved, no reason to recreate it.

 

[Little-Acorn]

Your other thread got moved, no reason to recreate it.

??

To where?

I can't find it.

And for what reason?

 

[Little-Acorn]

One possible result of this "agreement":

1.) Israel says, "If you think Iran is going to stop just because they promised they would, we don't. We believe they will go right on developing a bomb while your diplomats and their Islamic fanatics play nicey-nice in the negotiation rooms, until they have one ready. We also believe that, while none of you deal-makers are on their target list, we ARE, so we're not going to wait for you to find out you've been had. Once they have their bomb almost ready, we will attack them and destroy their program, before they have a chance to finish what Hitler started. Sorry if you don't like it, but we feel we don't have much choice."

2.) United States says, "Hey, we are one of the ones who negotiated this deal. If you go outside it, you'll ruin what we've done. So, if you attack them like that, we'll have to withdraw all our support, you're on your own."

....just like Iran wants.

Naw, Iran would never manipulate us into doing anything like that.

Would they?

 

[waltky]

Granny says, "Dat's right - dey knowed Obama had `em by the yin-yang wiff dem sanctions...

OBAMA: NUCLEAR DEAL BLOCKS IRAN'S PATH TO BOMB
Nov 24,`13 -- Iran struck a historic deal Sunday with the United States and five other world powers, agreeing to a temporary freeze of its nuclear program in the most significant agreement between Washington and Tehran in more than three decades of estrangement.

The deal commits Iran to curb its nuclear activities for six months in exchange for limited and gradual sanctions relief, including access to $4.2 billion from oil sales. The six-month period will give diplomats time to negotiate a more sweeping agreement. It builds on the momentum of the public dialogue opened during September's annual U.N. gathering, which included a 15-minute phone conversation between President Barack Obama and Iran's new president, Hassan Rouhani.

Obama hailed the pact's provisions, which include curbs on Iran's enrichment and other projects that could be used to make nuclear arms, as key to preventing Iran from becoming a nuclear threat. `'Simply put, they cut off Iran's most likely paths to a bomb," he told reporters in Washington. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who led his country's delegation, called on both sides to see the agreement as an `'opportunity to end an unnecessary crisis and open new horizons."

But initial reaction in Israel was strongly negative. Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz, who is responsible for monitoring Iran's nuclear program, said the deal was based on "Iranian deception and self-delusion." Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has loudly criticized the agreement, saying the international community is giving up too much to Iran, which it believes will retain the ability to produce a nuclear weapon and threaten Israel. Secretary of State John Kerry, who joined the final negotiations along with the foreign ministers of Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany, said the pact will make U.S. allies in the Middle East, including Israel, safer reducing the threat of war. "Agreement in Geneva," he tweeted. "First step makes world safer. More work now."

The deal marks a milestone between the two countries, which broke diplomatic ties 34 years ago when Iran's Islamic revolution climaxed in the storming of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. Since then, relations between the two countries had been frigid to hostile. Although the deal lowered tensions between the two countries, friction points remain - notably Iran's support of the Syrian regime of Bashar Assad. The United States also has said Iran supports terrorism throughout the region and commits widespread human rights violations. The Geneva negotiations followed secret face-to-face talks between the U.S. and Iran over the past year, The Associated Press has learned. The discussions, held in the Persian Gulf nation of Oman and elsewhere, were kept hidden even from America's closest allies, including its negotiating partners and Israel, until two months ago. A White House statement said the deal limits Iran's existing stockpiles of enriched uranium, which can be turned into the fissile core of nuclear arms.

MORE

See also:

KEY POINTS IN IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL WITH WORLD POWERS
Nov 24,`13 Iran struck a historic nuclear deal Sunday with the United States and five other world powers. Here are some key points in the agreement and why they matter for Iran and the international community:

HALTING URANIUM ENRICHMENT ABOVE 5 PERCENT

This would keep Iran's enrichment level well below the threshold needed for weapons-grade material, which is more than 90 percent enrichment. Uranium enriched to 5 percent is adequate to make fuel for Iran's lone energy-producing reactor in Bushehr on the Persian Gulf coast. For Iran, the ability to keep its enrichment program is a critical issue. Iran's leaders insist they maintain self-sufficiency over the entire nuclear cycle from mining uranium to making nuclear fuel.

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`NEUTRALIZE' IRAN'S STOCKPILE OF 20 PERCENT ENRICHED URANIUM

This level of enrichment is within several steps of reaching weapons grade. Eliminating the stockpile eases Western concerns that Iran possibly could move quickly toward a nuclear weapon. Iran can either convert the 20 percent uranium into reactor-ready fuel, which effectively blocks it from further enrichment. Or Iran can dilute the material to levels below 5 percent enrichment. Iranian officials have said the country has a sufficient stockpile of 20 percent enriched uranium for long-term operations of its research reactor, which runs at the higher-level uranium and produces isotopes for medical treatments and other uses. Allowing Iran to use the stockpile for domestic purposes is an important political takeaway for Tehran. Iranian leaders had balked at demands to ship the stockpile out of the country.

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NO NEW CENTRIFUGES

This effectively freezes Iran's enrichment capacities for the next six months. Centrifuges are used to turn concentrated uranium into nuclear fuel. Iran, however, is allowed to keep its two main enrichment facilities in operation. Iran's government, which negotiated the deal with world powers in Geneva, would have faced huge backlash from hard-liners at home if either of the labs were forced to shut down.

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SUSPEND WORK AT THE ARAK REACTOR

The planned Arak reactor in central Iran is a "heavy water" plant, which means it uses a molecular variant of water as a coolant and can run on non-enriched uranium. It also produces a higher degree of plutonium byproduct, which could be extracted and potentially used in weapons production. Iran's agreement not to build a plutonium reprocessing facility deals directly with the weapons program concerns. It also could clear the way for future agreements to resume work on the reactor.

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IRAN'S PLEDGE TO ADDRESS U.N. CONCERNS, INCLUDING THE PARCHIN MILITARY SITE

The specific mention of the Parchin military base near Tehran touches on a longstanding impasse between Iran and the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog organization, the International Atomic Energy Agency. U.N. inspectors want to revisit the site to investigate suspicions of past explosive tests that could have applications in nuclear bomb designs. Iran denies the claim. Iran has said further inspections are possible, but also wanted to impose restrictions that limits on public disclosures by the U.N. agency. The deal could open the way for greater Parchin inspections.

News from The Associated Press

Related:

URANIUM ENRICHMENT AT HEART OF IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL
Nov 24,`13 Iran's ability to enrich uranium - at what levels and what speed - is a cornerstone of the deal reached Sunday between Tehran and world powers. Here are answers to some important questions about uranium enrichment, the central process in turning concentrated uranium into nuclear fuel.

Q: WHAT IS URANIUM ENRICHMENT?

A: It is the process of turning uranium gas feedstock into nuclear fuel. It's done with centrifuges that separate and concentrate the uranium. About 3.5 percent enrichment is needed for an energy-producing reactor such as Iran's Russian-built plant at Bushehr on the Persian Gulf coast. Higher levels of enrichment, about 20 percent, are needed for research reactors that produce isotopes for cancer treatment and other applications, such as agricultural to enhance fertilizers. Iran has one main research reactor.

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Q: SO WHY THE WORRY ABOUT NUCLEAR WEAPONS?

A: Because uranium enriched to 20 percent is only several steps away from being boosted to weapons-grade levels at more than 90 percent. Iran says it has no intention of building a bomb. But the West and others worry that Iran could one day start a fast-track weapons program with its stockpile of 20 percent enriched uranium or stop just short of making weapons and become a de facto nuclear-armed state.

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Q: WHY WON'T IRAN GIVE UP ENRICHMENT?

A: This is what Iran has frequently called its "red line." Iran's leaders say they will never relinquish control over the entire nuclear cycle as a matter of national pride. Iran portrays itself as an emerging technological giant of the Islamic world. The nuclear energy program is a pillar of Iran's self-image as a center of scientific advances independent of the West. Iran has made some other important strides, including claims of sophisticated drone development, a homegrown auto industry and an aerospace program that officials say has sent rockets to the edge of space with animals aboard.

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Q: IS IT POSSIBLE TO MAKE A BOMB WITH ENRICHMENT AT 5 PERCENT OR LOWER?

A: No. But Israel and others worry that giving Iran the capacity to enrich could open the door to a secret program for higher levels someday. Iran denies this and has agreed to even closer U.N. inspections of its nuclear facilities.

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Q: WHEN DID IRAN START ENRICHMENT?

A: It was announced in 2006, but enrichment was part of the nuclear disputes between Iran and the West for more than a decade. In late 2003, Iran agreed to suspend its work on installing centrifuges and related facilities as part of nuclear talks with European envoys. The negotiations at the time faltered and Iran moved ahead with its enrichment plans.

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Q: WHERE ARE IRAN'S ENRICHMENT SITES?

A: Iran has two main uranium enrichment facilities. The oldest and largest - in Natanz, about 260 kilometers (160 miles) southeast of Tehran - is largely built underground and is surrounded by anti-aircraft batteries. Uranium enrichment began in 2006. Another site is known as Fordo, which is built into a mountainside south of Tehran. Its construction was kept secret by Iran until it was disclosed in September 2009 in a pre-emptive move before its existence was revealed by Western intelligence agencies. The area is heavily protected by the Revolutionary Guard. U.N. nuclear inspectors have visited both sites and have installed round-the-clock monitoring systems. The new accord allows for the possibility of daily U.N. inspection visits.

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Q: HOW MANY OTHER COUNTRIES ENRICH URANIUM?

A: More than a dozen countries have enrichment programs, but several of those do not have nuclear weapons.

News from The Associated Press

 

[Little-Acorn]

Waltky, those agreements sound very nice, a good first step.

As I said, of course, we need to be able to trust they will hold to their avgreements. To do that, the major powers need to regularly inspect all facilities that are involved in such developement and production, on a regular basis. Plus inspect all other areas where such capability MIGHT be developed.

Where in the agreements, are these inspections spelled out?

Do the agreements even mention ay such inspections?

 

[HenryBHough]

Anyone REALLY believed Kerry was intended to be anything other than Obama's lilly-white scapegoat? Hell, even Hillary was smart enough to fake a TIA and run from that but of business.....

 

[Avatar4321]

History repeats itself. Neville Chamberlain made an agreement with Hitler and declared it peace in their time. World war 2 started a year later. Let's hope that doesn't happen this time.

 

[kotd2013]

It's a 6 month agreement. It's not that big of a deal. It just eases tensions.