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Iran to begin nuclear facility

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published January 27, 2007

DAVOS, Switzerland - Iran plans to begin work next month on an underground uranium enrichment facility, as part of a plan to create a network of tens of thousands of machines turning out material that could be used to make nuclear arms, U.N. officials said Friday.

The officials' comments were the first concrete confirmation that work on the facility would begin in February. A senior U.S. State Department official warned the move would be a "major miscalculation" by Iran.

"If Iran takes this step, it is going to confront universal international opposition," said Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns. "If they think they can get away with 3,000 centrifuges without another Security Council resolution and additional international pressure, then they are very badly mistaken."

Former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, meanwhile, accused the United States of bullying, with the ultimate aim of forcing Iran to "abandon nuclear energy." In a sermon in Tehran, he said a U.S. military buildup in the Persian Gulf and the announcement that U.S. forces would seek to capture or kill Iranian agents in Iraq were aimed at Iranian nuclear programs.

"Today our enemies have come with several issues against us while having supporters in the world communities," Rafsanjani said. "This is bullying."

Also Friday, the Iranian government said it would bar U.N. inspectors from countries that voted in favor of a U.N. Security Council resolution last month that imposed sanctions on Iran for its nuclear program. Iran said it had rejected 38 names from a list of inspectors from the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency.

Iranian officials have said repeatedly that work would start soon on the uranium enrichment facility at its Natanz underground plant. There had been speculation the leadership might launch the project next month to celebrate the 28th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution that brought the clerical leadership to power.

But the timing of the work may in part be a gesture of defiance. The Security Council's 60-day deadline for Iran to suspend uranium enrichment runs out next month, paving the way for further sanctions.

"I understand that they are going to announce that they are going to build up their 3,000 centrifuge facility ... sometime next month," IAEA head Mohamed ElBaradei said.

Iran ultimately plans to expand its program to 54,000 centrifuges, which spin uranium gas into enriched material. It says it aims to produce nuclear fuel to generate electricity. But if Iran chose, it could use the massive array of centrifuges to make enough weapons-grade material for dozens of nuclear warheads a year.

Diplomats briefed on the IAEA's findings said this month that the Iranians recently finished preassembly work at the Natanz facility, which is underground to protect against attack.

[Last modified January 27, 2007, 00:45:57]