Nuclear Deal to Allow Iran 6,000 Centrifuges
5,550 more than we first okayed.
By Emily Zanotti on 3.19.15 | 12:13PM
I won't spend too much time parsing this out, since I'm sure others on the site will have much to say about it, but good news everyone! We've apparently reached some sort of deal with Iran, and it appears that it will put Iran in a position where, in just under a year, they'll be able to enrich enough uranium to produce a nuclear weapon.
We're just so good at this foreign policy thing.
Anyway, there were rumors last week that the US-Iranian nuclear deal involved allowing Iran to operate 6,000 centrifuges. That's less than the 10K they want to operate, and a lot more than the 500 we wanted them to operate just a few short years ago. It's also more than the 4,000 centrifuge compromise that we offered a year ago. And, all of this is inked in spite of the fact that Iran is probably doing whatever the hell it wants to, anyway. Today, the Associated Press confirmed the 6,000 number and added that the deal we've struck does not touch Iran's weapons manufacturing program, so we've made no significant effort to stop them from developing the missile they'll use to deliver the thing, either.
Officials said the tentative deal imposes new limits on the number of centrifuges Iran can operate to enrich uranium, a process that can lead to nuclear weapons-grade material. The sides are zeroing in on a cap of 6,000 centrifuges, officials said, down from the 6,500 they spoke of in recent weeks.
That's also less than the 10,000 such machines Tehran now runs, yet substantially more than the 500 to 1,500 that Washington originally wanted as a ceiling. Only a year ago, U.S. officials floated 4,000 as a possible compromise.
But U.S. officials insist the focus on centrifuge numbers alone misses the point. Combined with other restrictions on enrichment levels and the types of centrifuges Iran can use, Washington believes it can extend the time Tehran would need to produce a nuclear weapon to at least a year for the 10 years it would be under the moratorium. Right now, Iran would require only two to three months to amass enough material if it covertly seeks to "break out" toward the bomb.
The one-year breakout time has become a point the Obama administration is reluctant to cross in the set of highly technical talks, and that bare minimum would be maintained for 10 years as part of the draft deal. After that, the restrictions would be slowly eased. The total length of the deal would be at least 15 years, possibly even 20.
The problem is, Iran's nuclear program is "deeply buried." No one's seen it, Iran insists that it's being used for scientific research, and, theoretically, it can hold hundreds of centrifuges. And when you think about it, if all you want to do is pump a little alternative energy through your grid, demanding more than 4,000 centrifuges operate regularly is kind of on the shifty side.
So, basically, this entire deal is predicated on trusting a bunch of lunatics who will do whatever they want anyway which, at best, could result in a nuclear accident and, at worst, a crazy nuclear arms race amongst Middle Eastern countries which will assure the destruction of most of the Eastern world. As Jazz at Hot Air points, out, this deal is making even the French squirm.
The worst part is, it doesn't even seem like Sen. Tom Cotton's letter had any impact on the process. Guess all that talk of treason was for nothing.
.
The American Spectator Foundation is the 501(c)(3) organization responsible for publishing The American Spectator magazine and training aspiring journalists who espouse traditional American values. Your contributions are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law. Each donor receives a year-end summary of their giving for tax purposes.
Copyright 2013, The American Spectator. All rights reserved.
Source URL:
http://spectator.org/blog/62117/nuclear-deal-allow-iran-6000-centrifuges
