Ahmadinejad: Iran produces first 20 percent-enriched uranium

[Zegtelzegtel Profile]

Ahmadinejad: Iran produces first 20 percent-enriched uranium


Tehran, Iran (CNN) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Thursday that his country has produced its first 20 percent-enriched uranium in a speech he was giving on the 31st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution.

Ahmadinejad spoke to a crowd of thousands at Azadi, or Freedom Square, in central Tehran on the anniversary of the revolution, which toppled a Western-backed monarch and transformed Iran into an Islamic republic.

Iran began enriching uranium to 20 percent on Tuesday, state media said. The enrichment was taking place at its Natanz facility, under the surveillance of U.N. nuclear watchdog inspectors.

Uranium enriched to 20 percent is considered "highly enriched," the U.S. National Research Council says on its Web site. That level is the threshold for uranium capable of setting off a nuclear reaction, but Iran insists it needs the enriched uranium from its current 3.5 percent to meet the demands of the country's cancer patients.

Many people attending Ahmadinejad's speech waved flags. Others carried placards bearing the images of the heroes of the revolution.

Bracing for an onslaught of expected anti-government protests, authorities imposed a virtual information blockade and warned that it will arrest and detain demonstrators until April if they take to the streets.

Pickups roamed the streets of Tehran, blaring pro-government slogans and songs from speakers, a witness said.

Members of the Basij, the paramilitary force loyal to Iran's hard-line leadership, waited outside mosques near Azadi Square to be deployed, opposition Web site Jaras said.

International journalists have been told by the Iranian government that they can report only on Ahmadinejad's speech, and not on developments on the streets, Jaras said.

Iran has imposed tight restrictions on reporters covering the anniversary, forcing media outlets to rely on information provided by witnesses and by opposition and state-run sources.

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The precautions are meant to prevent a repeat of anti-government protests on other key occasions that have embarrassed and inflamed Iranian authorities. Since a disputed presidential election in June, protesters have turned public gatherings into rallies against Ahmadinejad, who was declared the overwhelming winner of the race.

Police have responded to such demonstrations with mass arrests of protesters they denounce as anti-Islamic and against the revolution.

Undeterred, a coalition of Iranian reformist groups -- the so-called Green Movement -- urged opponents of the regime to come out once again in masses and stage non-violent protests on Thursday.

The government said that, if protesters disrupt state-sanctioned marches, they will be jailed until at least April 9, the end of the Persian holiday of Norooz. The holiday marks the start of spring.

Residents in the Iranian capital said Wednesday that text messages on many messaging services have been blocked and Internet speeds have slowed to a crawl.

The Internet "comes on only a few minutes each day, but you never know when," one Iranian wrote in an e-mail to CNN, which he said took seven hours to send. "This has been going on for more than four days now. I contacted my Internet provider and they said it is out of their control."

"We have heard from users in Iran that they are having trouble accessing Gmail," Google said. "We can confirm a sharp drop in traffic and we have looked at our own networks and found that they are working properly."

Accustomed to such blocks, Iranians have become savvy about alternative links allowing them to get around government filters so they can communicate via e-mail.

"Our phones are strictly followed and controlled," a young Iranian who participated in past protests said by phone from Tehran.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the Iranian said that for the first time the satellite television signals in his neighborhood had been jammed.

Human rights groups and opposition Web sites also have reported widespread arrests targeting journalists.

According to the Paris-based journalism watchdog Reporters Without Borders, at least eight journalists were arrested Sunday and Monday, bringing the total number of reporters now in prison to at least 65.

There were other reports that journalists trying to enter Iran this week have been denied visas by the government. CNN had requested a visa for a correspondent to cover the anniversary events and that application was denied.

Anti-government demonstrations began after the June 12 presidential vote. But late December marked the deadliest clashes since the initial protests broke out last summer. At least seven people were killed and hundreds arrested as they took to the streets on Ashura, which occurred on December 27, witnesses said.

The Iranian government has denied that its security forces killed anyone and has blamed reformists for the violence.

Police arrested 4,000 people in the post-election crackdown.



Two men have been executed for participating in the demonstrations, and 10 have been sentenced to death and await appeal.

CNN's Reza Sayah contributed to this report

was it this?

[Lowsix Profile]

You just might have gotten the scoop Zeggie!

[Zegtelzegtel Profile]

You just might have gotten the scoop Zeggie!

[Pindz Profile Website]

iran this iran that iran blabla iran missile uranium blablabla ahmadinejad blabla

if you had no CNN you never knew that IRAN exist

ou pas?

[Kingz Profile]

iran this iran that iran blabla iran missile uranium blablabla ahmadinejad blabla

if you had no CNN you never knew that IRAN exist

ou pas?

TRANSLATED BY GOOGLE:

"Iran interferes with foreign television broadcasting"
Updated: Friday, February 12, 2010, 21:51

The Worldwide, BBC, Voice of America and Deutsche Welle have to say, evidence that Iran over the past three days has disrupted their broadcasts.

The four channels reported that a joint statement.

So was the signal of Radio Netherlands of Dutch and Arabic radio programs in parts of Europe and the Middle East road. The broadcast of BVN-TV did not. In Iran itself, the four stations often receive.

Revolution
The relevant stations think that the disturbance had to do with the celebration yesterday of the Iranian Revolution. In recent days was not possible international telephone traffic with Iran.

http://nos.nl/artikel/136288-iran-stoor ... nders.html

DUTCH NEWS....CNN????

[Kingz Profile]

Iran president: Era of nuclear weapons over
Fri, 12 Feb 2010 21:42:57 GMT

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called for a world free of nuclear arms saying that the era of such weapons is over.

"We believe that not only the Middle East but also the whole world should be free of nuclear weapons because we see such weapons as inhumane," Ahmadinejad said in an interview with Russia's NTV channel.

"Today, no one can use a nuclear weapon and we believe that the US is taking a wrong move by stockpiling nuclear weapons," Ahmadinejad stated.

He stressed that the nuclear weapons no longer have efficiency, noting the US that possesses nuclear weapons will never achieve victory in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"Those who claim that they are against nuclear weapons should dismantle their nuclear weapons first to prove that they are honest," the Iranian president said.

[Zegtelzegtel Profile]

iran this iran that iran blabla iran missile uranium blablabla ahmadinejad blabla

if you had no CNN you never knew that IRAN exist

ou pas?

TRANSLATED BY GOOGLE:

"Iran interferes with foreign television broadcasting"
Updated: Friday, February 12, 2010, 21:51

The Worldwide, BBC, Voice of America and Deutsche Welle have to say, evidence that Iran over the past three days has disrupted their broadcasts.

The four channels reported that a joint statement.

So was the signal of Radio Netherlands of Dutch and Arabic radio programs in parts of Europe and the Middle East road. The broadcast of BVN-TV did not. In Iran itself, the four stations often receive.

Revolution
The relevant stations think that the disturbance had to do with the celebration yesterday of the Iranian Revolution. In recent days was not possible international telephone traffic with Iran.

http://nos.nl/artikel/136288-iran-stoor ... nders.html

DUTCH NEWS....CNN????

Interesting stuff..

[sockpuppet Profile]

A news article, from the front page of the website for Iran's president

http://www.president.ir/en/?ArtID=20262

Inspecting a laser exhibition, President said that the Iranian scientists have acquired the laser-operating uranium enrichment know-how but would put the technology on shelf for the moment.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ordered the head of the Atomic Energy Organization (AEO) to start 20 percent uranium enrichment operations.

The president issued the order in a speech follwoing his inspection of an exhibition organized by Iran's Center for Laser Sciences and Technology.

Addressing experts attending the exhibition, he stressed the high potential of Iranians in different sectors and, outlining the process of Iran's nuclear talks.

"We had already told them we were ready to exchange nuclear fuel though we possessed the know how to produce 20-percent enriched uranium but they chose to go to another direction."

He then addressed the head of the Atomic Energy Organization, saying: "start production of 20-percent enriched uranium using the centrifuges you possess."

Hours before when inspecting the exhibition, the President said that the Iranian scientists have acquired the laser-operating uranium enrichment know-how but would put the technology on shelf for the moment.

The President said Iran is able to carry out the enrichment process with a higher quality, accuracy and speed to any desired degree of purity.

"The door for interaction is wide open but if anybody intends to press the Iranian nation that will not work," Ahmadinejad said in his speech.

The first exhibition showcasing the latest achievements of Iranian scientists and experts in the field of laser and optics which was opened by President Ahmadinejad earlier on the day, includes many items designed and developed by Iranian experts to be used in medical areas.

After inspecting different parts of the exhibition, Ahmadinejad agreed with a proposal by his deputy for technical and scientific affairs to establish a permanent exhibition to showcase the most advanced and outstanding achievements of Iranian scientists.