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Iran's Advances in Nuclear Technology Spark New Concerns

(Washington Post) Joby Warrick - Iran is poised to make a significant leap in its ability to enrich uranium, with more sophisticated centrifuge technology that is being assembled in secret to advance the country's nuclear efforts, according to U.S. and European intelligence officials and diplomats. Iran's apparent gains in centrifuge technology have heightened concerns that the government is working clandestinely on a uranium-enrichment plant capable of producing more nuclear fuel at a much faster pace, the officials said. UN nuclear monitors have not been allowed to examine the new centrifuge, which Iranian officials briefly put on display at a news conference last month. But an expert group's analysis of the machine - based on photos - suggests that it could be up to five times as productive as the balky centrifuges Iran currently uses to enrich uranium. The uranium-enrichment plant near Qom has been all but idle in recent months. "They seem to have lost interest in Qom since its discovery," said a Europe-based diplomat. "It makes us wonder if they're thinking about a new site." The sharp drop-off in activity at Qom prompted questions about the whereabouts of scores of highly-trained scientists and workers seen there six months ago. When asked during a CBS interview about new facilities, Ali Akbar Salehi, Iran's nuclear energy chief, said: "We probably will start another site this year," adding that Iran does not intend to notify the UN nuclear agency about the new construction until the facility is nearly ready for operation. President Ahmadinejad has boasted that Iran would soon build 10 enrichment facilities.
2010-05-03 07:58:36
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