[AP/Washington Post] Barry Schweid - Anthony H. Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington said in a report this month that Iran now has a technology base to make nuclear weapons, limited only by its current level of uranium enrichment. "The worst case for a nuclear device is 2009, but it could well be 2011-2015 before Iran gets there," Cordesman said Tuesday. "The critical issue is when Iran could have an effective nuclear-armed missile force. That could easily take two to three years longer." Israel says Iran could have enough nuclear material to make its first bomb within a year. The U.S. estimates that Iran is at least two years away. A recent report by the Bipartisan Policy Center concluded that once Iran produces 700 kg. of low-enriched uranium, it could be capable of producing 20 kg. of highly enriched uranium, the minimum necessary for a nuclear device, in as little as 16 days.
2008-11-13 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive