Iran makes uranium deal with Turkey and Brazil

[piercehawkeye45]

CAIRO — Iran announced an agreement on Monday to ship some of its nuclear fuel to Turkey in a deal that could offer a short-term solution to its ongoing nuclear standoff with the West, or prove to be a tactic aimed at derailing efforts to bring new sanctions against Tehran.

The deal, negotiated by Turkey and Brazil, calls for Iran to ship 1,200 kilograms (2,640 pounds) of low enriched uranium to Turkey, where it would be stored. In exchange, after one year, Iran would have the right to receive about 265 pounds of material enriched to 20 percent from Russia and France.

The terms mirror a deal with the West last October that fell apart when Iran backtracked. But it is far from clear that the Obama administration will agree to it now — in part because Iran has continued to enrich uranium, adding to its stockpiles.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/18/wo...pagewanted=all


This deal will put Obama into an awkward situation. Since Iran is sending around 2/3rd of its stockpile of low enriched uranium to Turkey, enough that it cannot do anything with what's remaining, and is receiving higher grade material that is still not powerful enough to create nuclear weapons, it shows that Iran will not make nuclear weapons anytime soon. But, Iran refuses to stop enriching uranium themselves, so they could possibly be continuing research to create nuclear weapons in the future.

The UN made a deal extremely similar to this 8 months ago that Obama was ready to sign but Iran backed out of it. Now, Iran is making the deal and while it is slightly more in Iran's favor, Obama will need to decide which route he wants to take.

Other links:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationwo...,7697709.story
http://realisticbird.wordpress.com/2...el-infuriated/

[tw]

Originally Posted by piercehawkeye45

Since Iran is sending around 2/3rd of its stockpile of low enriched uranium to Turkey, enough that it cannot do anything with what's remaining, and is receiving higher grade material that is still not powerful enough to create nuclear weapons, it shows that Iran will not make nuclear weapons anytime soon.

Getting from low enriched to highly enriched is hard. Getting from highly enriched to weapons grade is reported to be easier.

Many variable exist in what is and is not possible - all embedded in fine details of every deal and the underlying science.

[piercehawkeye45]

I'm assuming the UN initially started this deal with Iran so they could get an idea of how much uranium they have and what they are more or less doing with this.

While I wouldn't put it past Iran to use some of the 20% enriched for research to attempt to make it of higher grade, I'm sure someone will notice if 100 pounds of it suddenly goes missing.

[classicman]

Originally Posted by piercehawkeye45

I'm sure someone will notice if 100 pounds of it suddenly goes missing.

If they let inspectors in.

[Shawnee123]

All I know is I will never eat a turkey sandwich from Brazil ever again.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Since Iran is sending around 2/3rd of its stockpile of low enriched uranium to Turkey, enough that it cannot do anything with what's remaining,

How do you know it's 2/3rd? We don't know how much they have, or even how many facilities they have working on enrichment.

[Cloud]

I keep seeing food stuff in this title. guess I'm hungry for Turkey.

[piercehawkeye45]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

How do you know it's 2/3rd? We don't know how much they have, or even how many facilities they have working on enrichment.

I misread. The article I initially read, basically an AP article, said around 2/3rds from the agreement 8 or so months ago, not this one. The article is just informative and I don't know where they got it from but whether that is true or not is not my point.

This was a very strategic win win move for Iran. They not only made a public move that makes them appear to only want nuclear power for peaceful purposes but they "cooperated" and now it will be much tougher if not impossible for the United States to get support for tougher sanctions against Iran. Not only that, but none of the big UN players had any part of the deal. It was Turkey and Brazil, with help from Russia and China, that pushed it through and this could represent a new alternative to American and UN dominance in the region.

This will not solve or even dent the Iran with nuclear weapons problem. It would be incredibly stupid for Iran to act like this if they were exploring nuclear energy for peaceful purposes only. It does show that the US will not have as much control over the world in the future and we could possibly see a change in foreign policy because of this. I want to see Obama's reaction against this.

[Flint]

I did a Google search for "brazilian turkey recipe" and it came up with a YouTube video called:

Young Sex Picture Fleshlight Wmv Roasted Turkey Recipe Pac Man Gratis!

WTF? Is "Roasted Turkey Recipe" a euphemism I was unaware of?

I thought it was bad enough when a stylist I know was advertising a "Brazilian Blowout" recently.

[tw]

Originally Posted by Flint

Is "Roasted Turkey Recipe" a euphemism I was unaware of?

Brazilian Turkeys always taste better when nuked.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by piercehawkeye45

I'm assuming the UN initially started this deal with Iran so they could get an idea of how much uranium they have and what they are more or less doing with this.

They will never get that info from this deal. They may, however, just want to get a sample of it to the IAE or someother agency so they can id it.

[piercehawkeye45]

Looks like its not going through anyway. It was just a last minute deal by Iran to avoid sanctions and try to pin down the US. It failed. Russia seems to be on board with sanctions and we will find out about China in a few days.

[TheMercenary]

Iran has learned from NK that all they have to do is make promises they never intend to keep and use delaying tactics to drag this out until they have confirmed to the world they have a bomb by a field test and subsequent explosion.

[classicman]

Pretty much. Thats worked in the past.

[piercehawkeye45]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

Iran has learned from NK that all they have to do is make promises they never intend to keep and use delaying tactics to drag this out until they have confirmed to the world they have a bomb by a field test and subsequent explosion.

Maybe not. Iran getting the nuclear bomb goes against a lot of US interests in the region. I have a good friend who just took a foreign policy class with a top advisor in Washington who specializes in nuclear issues and he said that we will probably bomb Iran's nuclear facilities if they keep going the way they are.