Iran moves fuel above ground

FireGarden · 27th February 2010, 06:57 AM

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/27/wo...html?ref=world

Quote:

So imagine the surprise of international inspectors almost two weeks ago when they watched as Iran moved nearly its entire stockpile of low-enriched nuclear fuel to an above-ground plant. It was as if, one official noted, a bull’s-eye had been painted on it.

Why take such a huge risk?

[...] “There’s no technical explanation, so there has to be some other motivation,” one senior administration official who studies the Iranian strategy said after a White House briefing last week following the atomic agency’s revelation.

The strangest of the speculations — but the one that is being talked about most — is that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps is inviting an attack to unify the country after eight months of street demonstrations that have pitted millions of Iranians against their government.

[...] But the simplest explanation, that the Iranians had no choice, has its proponents. The fuel is stored in one big, specialized cask. When someone ordered that the fuel begin being fed into the giant centrifuges for further enrichment, engineers moved it to the only spot available — the exposed plant. Or, as one American intelligence official said, “You can’t dismiss the possibility that this is a screw-up.”

Pardalis · 27th February 2010, 07:46 AM

Maybe the US and Israel won't need to bomb Iran afterall. Iran is going to save them the trouble and go Chernobyl before then.

Gord_in_Toronto · 27th February 2010, 08:43 AM

Originally Posted by Pardalis

Maybe the US and Israel won't need to bomb Iran afterall. Iran is going to save them the trouble and go Chernobyl before then.

All very well but the US will be blamed anyway and the majority of the planet will believe it to be true.

casebro · 27th February 2010, 05:39 PM

What is the prevailing wind direction for the above ground storage lot? What happens if somebody blows it sky high?

What kind of political gain would there be if the Iranians blew it themselves, and blamed ___ ?

rjh01 · 27th February 2010, 06:24 PM

Originally Posted by casebro

<snip>

What kind of political gain would there be if the Iranians blew it themselves, and blamed ___ ?

This is not 100% far fetched. Similar things have been thought about in the past. Here is one recent news report

Quote:

Twenty military officers have been formally charged in Turkey with attempting to overthrow the government.
<snip>
Reports of the alleged plot first surfaced in the liberal Taraf newspaper, which said it had discovered documents detailing plans to bomb two Istanbul mosques and provoke Greece into shooting down a Turkish plane over the Aegean Sea.

Ref: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/8531486.stm

As to your question it would benefit some extremists in Iran, as in the anti USA anti Israel people.

If the Iranians decide they cannot make a bomb then this is what they could do instead. They need to make several. One to explode to make sure it works and to tell the world that they have a bomb and then one or more to use.

FireGarden · 2nd March 2010, 02:01 PM

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6203MR20100301

Quote:

Iran has moved a stock of enriched uranium back underground after drawing what it needed to refine the material up to 20 percent purity, Tehran's envoy to the U.N. nuclear watchdog said on Monday.

The Fool · 2nd March 2010, 03:42 PM

low-enriched nuclear fuel?

how would you destroy that with bombs? If you bombed it they would just go and pickup it all up after its been scattered a bit by the bombs.....surely?

McHrozni · 3rd March 2010, 01:33 AM

Originally Posted by The Fool

low-enriched nuclear fuel?

how would you destroy that with bombs? If you bombed it they would just go and pickup it all up after its been scattered a bit by the bombs.....surely?

Speaking hypothetically, if you put a large amount of conventional explosives below it - say 50 tons of TNT - it would be scattered enough for any such operation to require literarily a fine comb. Health effects to the population would be, well, interesting, but I don't really see the Iranian mules as particularily caring for the well-being of their people.

McHrozni

27th February 2010, 06:57 AM	#1
FireGarden Philosopher Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Spannungsbogen -- without a visa Posts: 5,043	Iran moves fuel above ground http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/27/wo...html?ref=world Quote: So imagine the surprise of international inspectors almost two weeks ago when they watched as Iran moved nearly its entire stockpile of low-enriched nuclear fuel to an above-ground plant. It was as if, one official noted, a bull’s-eye had been painted on it. Why take such a huge risk? [...] “There’s no technical explanation, so there has to be some other motivation,” one senior administration official who studies the Iranian strategy said after a White House briefing last week following the atomic agency’s revelation. The strangest of the speculations — but the one that is being talked about most — is that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps is inviting an attack to unify the country after eight months of street demonstrations that have pitted millions of Iranians against their government. [...] But the simplest explanation, that the Iranians had no choice, has its proponents. The fuel is stored in one big, specialized cask. When someone ordered that the fuel begin being fed into the giant centrifuges for further enrichment, engineers moved it to the only spot available — the exposed plant. Or, as one American intelligence official said, “You can’t dismiss the possibility that this is a screw-up.”
	__________________ When Americans talk about freedom, it’s our secular code word for salvation. There’s no salvation outside the church; there’s no freedom outside the American way of life. -- James Carroll B'tselem Tony Karon's blog

27th February 2010, 08:43 AM	#3
Gord_in_Toronto Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 13,409	Originally Posted by Pardalis Maybe the US and Israel won't need to bomb Iran afterall. Iran is going to save them the trouble and go Chernobyl before then. All very well but the US will be blamed anyway and the majority of the planet will believe it to be true.
	__________________ "Reality is what's left when you cease to believe." Philip K. Dick

27th February 2010, 05:39 PM	#4
casebro Philosopher Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 6,782	What is the prevailing wind direction for the above ground storage lot? What happens if somebody blows it sky high? What kind of political gain would there be if the Iranians blew it themselves, and blamed ___ ?
casebro Philosopher Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 6,782	__________________ Please pardon me for having ideas, not facts. Some have called me cynical, but I don't believe them. It's not how many breaths you take. It's how many times you have been breathless that counts. Last edited by casebro; 27th February 2010 at 05:39 PM. Reason: sp

27th February 2010, 06:24 PM	#5
rjh01 Gentleman of leisure Tagger Join Date: May 2005 Location: Planet Earth Posts: 17,162	Originally Posted by casebro <snip> What kind of political gain would there be if the Iranians blew it themselves, and blamed ___ ? This is not 100% far fetched. Similar things have been thought about in the past. Here is one recent news report Quote: Twenty military officers have been formally charged in Turkey with attempting to overthrow the government. <snip> Reports of the alleged plot first surfaced in the liberal Taraf newspaper, which said it had discovered documents detailing plans to bomb two Istanbul mosques and provoke Greece into shooting down a Turkish plane over the Aegean Sea. Ref: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/8531486.stm As to your question it would benefit some extremists in Iran, as in the anti USA anti Israel people. If the Iranians decide they cannot make a bomb then this is what they could do instead. They need to make several. One to explode to make sure it works and to tell the world that they have a bomb and then one or more to use.
	Last edited by rjh01; 27th February 2010 at 06:25 PM. Reason: words

2nd March 2010, 02:01 PM	#6
FireGarden Philosopher Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Spannungsbogen -- without a visa Posts: 5,043	http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6203MR20100301 Quote: Iran has moved a stock of enriched uranium back underground after drawing what it needed to refine the material up to 20 percent purity, Tehran's envoy to the U.N. nuclear watchdog said on Monday.
	__________________ When Americans talk about freedom, it’s our secular code word for salvation. There’s no salvation outside the church; there’s no freedom outside the American way of life. -- James Carroll B'tselem Tony Karon's blog

27th February 2010, 07:46 AM	#2
Pardalis Banned Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Montréal Posts: 25,831	Maybe the US and Israel won't need to bomb Iran afterall. Iran is going to save them the trouble and go Chernobyl before then.

2nd March 2010, 03:42 PM	#7
The Fool Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Australia Posts: 11,558	low-enriched nuclear fuel? how would you destroy that with bombs? If you bombed it they would just go and pickup it all up after its been scattered a bit by the bombs.....surely?
	__________________ And what is good, Phaedrus,and what is not good. Need we ask anyone to tell us these things? R. M. Pirsig. (Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance) Lose half your IQ....Ask me how.

3rd March 2010, 01:33 AM	#8
McHrozni Illuminator Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 3,552	Originally Posted by The Fool low-enriched nuclear fuel? how would you destroy that with bombs? If you bombed it they would just go and pickup it all up after its been scattered a bit by the bombs.....surely? Speaking hypothetically, if you put a large amount of conventional explosives below it - say 50 tons of TNT - it would be scattered enough for any such operation to require literarily a fine comb. Health effects to the population would be, well, interesting, but I don't really see the Iranian mules as particularily caring for the well-being of their people. McHrozni
McHrozni Illuminator Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 3,552