Iran: Nuclear Weapons Development Continues

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September 23, 2005: Parades and other ceremonies were held to recognize the 25th anniversary of the war with Iraq. That conflict killed several hundred thousand Iranians, and ended in a humiliating stalemate. Iranian politicians proclaimed the need to destroy Israel and defeat the United States. These speeches were made in Farsi (the language of most Iranians), not English.

September 21, 2005: Israel believes that Iran could have their first nuclear weapon in as little as six months. Since Iran has long, and loudly, called for the destruction of Israel, exactly when Iran gets nuclear weapons is an important matter for Israelis. It is believed that Israel would attack Iranian nuclear weapons facilities with aircraft and missiles, before Israel would allow Iran to create a nuclear warhead that could be used against Israel.

Meanwhile, European nations, who have been pressuring Iran to half its nuclear weapons program, backed off from asking the UN to get involved. The Iranians believe that the Europeans will not do anything meaningful to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons, and so far, these analysis appears to be correct.

September 20, 2005: Britain believes that Iran is backing, with technical experts, money and weapons, Iraqi Shia terrorist Abu Mustafa al Sheibani. This groups, with nearly 300 members, is believed trying to organize a terror campaign against British troops in southern Iraq. Two attacks this year have been attributed to the al Sheibani group.

September 18, 2005: President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad got in front of the UN (and world leaders assembled for the 60th anniversary of the organization) and said Iran had a right to produce enriched nuclear fuel (which can be used for nuclear weapons, but Ahmadinejad played down that angle by insisting that Islam forbids nuclear weapons. He says otherwise back in Iran.)

September 14, 2005: President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that Iran would share its nuclear technology with other Islamic nations. This is the great fear, that Iran, if it got nuclear weapons, would supply them to other Islamic nations, or Islamic terror groups. In reality, this is unlikely. Iran is not an Arab nation, and most Islamic nations are. The Iranians and Arabs have not gotten along for thousands of years, and that is not likely to change any time soon.

September 10, 2005: The government has told women restaurants owners to get a man to run the place, or shut down. The new, more Islamic conservative government, has increased pressure on reform minded Iranians. That means more restrictions on the dress, and activities, of women. Men are pressured to grow beards, and stay away from women not their wives. Public entertainments are discouraged, or forcibly disrupted. Political opposition is increasingly met with force.

 

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