Iran hours away from firing up first nuclear reactor

[-:Undertaker:-]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11045537

Iran's first nuclear power station is to be loaded with fuel and declared operational in a ceremony attended by Iranian and Russian officials. Nationwide celebrations are planned to mark the event at the Bushehr reactor in southern Iran. Russia will operate the plant, supplying its nuclear fuel and taking away the nuclear waste. Iran has been subject to four rounds of UN sanctions because of its separate uranium enrichment programme.

The West fears Tehran wants to build a nuclear weapon, but Iran insists its plans are for peaceful energy production. The Bushehr facility has taken 35 years to build and has been plagued by delays. The BBC's Jon Leyne says Iranian officials have promoted Saturday's launch as a victory for the Islamic republic against its enemies. Professor Ali Ansari, an Iran expert at the University of St Andrews, in Scotland, said Tehran was likely to exaggerate the importance of the start-up at Bushehr. "It will obviously have a very theatrical opening but the delays have meant that the power plant is a very old model and the contribution to the national grid is very small," he said.

Well while it's not ideal that Iran acquires nuclear weapons, they have every right to do so and if I were in government in Iran; acquiring nuclear weapons would be my first priority considering US troops surround the country and Israel has illegal (illegal under international 'law' anyway if you believe in such a thing) nuclear weapons pointing at Iran.

I used to be very against the idea of Iran and other nations such as this getting a foothold, but i've changed on that now - we (as in actions of our politicians) are no better than them. The western world has no moral mandate to enforce our 'values' which our political class destroy every year with ever more laws and ever more freedoms taken away in the name of 'security'.

Thoughts?

[Tash.]

I'm undecided on what to think of this really. One the one hand I have always thought who are we (the west) to say who should and should not have nuclear capablities? But I think now that may be a little naive. I used to think that the west perhaps wanted to limit who had nuclear capabilities to keep a grasp on the power, now, considering the dangerous nature of the people in charge of countries such as Iran I think it might be justified to want to keep them away from it. Iran has already said it wishes to 'wipe Israel off the map' and now they seem to be developing the means to do what they say. I'm not sure i'd feel all that safe in Israel, not that I particularly do here as they aren't exactly great friends of the UK now are they? I think we need to come away from terms such as should we 'allow' Iran to have nuclear power and change it to do we feel safe them having it? I don't.

[Apple]

Countries such as America/England/Germany etc can be trusted with nuclear weapons however some countries just cannot be. At least we know that they are being monitored very closely.

[Niall!]

Countries such as America/England/Germany etc can be trusted with nuclear weapons however some countries just cannot be. At least we know that they are being monitored very closely.

I disagree. While a Nuclear weapon is a very dangerous thing, I don't believe the EU or the USA has the right to stop people from acquiring them.

[Grig]

It's done safely in the hands of Russia. I'm sure Russia isn't going to put the world at risk from any threat of nuclear weapons. I say let them go ahead and stop focusing on Iran. You have got many more Middle-Eastern states that have a lot of nuclear weapons such as Israel and we don't say anything about them simply because they are a close ally to the US.

[Jordy]

It's done safely in the hands of Russia. I'm sure Russia isn't going to put the world at risk from any threat of nuclear weapons. I say let them go ahead and stop focusing on Iran. You have got many more Middle-Eastern states that have a lot of nuclear weapons such as Israel and we don't say anything about them simply because they are a close ally to the US.

What middle-eastern states are these?

IMO the data to build nuclear weapons should of never been leaked beyond UK, US, France, Russia and China (The UN Security Council basically). Although I think it was fair that Pakistan also built nuclear weapons to counter the threat from India. Other states can't be trusted and are a threat to the world's security, Israel, North Korea and Iran for example.

[Fez]

Tick tock tick tock, there goes the doomsday clock.

When two hostile nations get a hold of nuclear weapons, and tension mounts, it's the Cold War all over again.

[Nemo]

I disagree. While a Nuclear weapon is a very dangerous thing, I don't believe the EU or the USA has the right to stop people from acquiring them.

I agree, if they wanna then go for it. I dont think they'll be dumb enough to use them, because lets face it no one is gonna use em. But if something had been launched at iran, what could they have done? nothing. Atleast now they've got some kind of deterrance.

[KebabJuice]

To be honest i think that people with more power than other countries want to be in control; although people are saying they're "protecting" us but I believe that we all should deserve to have a shot in life. why not take it?

Im pretty sure Iran hasn't had any previous convictions of suicide bombing - or am i wrong?

[Jordy]

To be honest i think that people with more power than other countries want to be in control; although people are saying they're "protecting" us but I believe that we all should deserve to have a shot in life. why not take it?

Im pretty sure Iran hasn't had any previous convictions of suicide bombing - or am i wrong?

Iran is a country not a person? It's heavily linked to all the suicide bombing and terrorism in Iraq, it provides much support and weapons for groups there. Not only that but it provides much support to terrorist groups operating in Lebanon. It also has a history of disputes with the US, UK, Israel and Saudi Arabia. Oh and it has an illegitimate government seeing as the president effectively rigged last years election.