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U.S. updating earlier intelligence estimate on Iran nukes U.S. intelligence agencies are reassessing earlier reports on when Iran will achieve nuclear weapons capability based on the resumption of illicit enrichment activities last week. The current National Intelligence Assessment, a consensus view of U.S. agencies, is that Iran will not have a nuclear weapon until 2010 at the earliest. A view of Natanz uranium enrichment facility 155 miles south of Teheran, on March 30, 2005. Raheb Homavandi/Reuters However, outside specialists believe that Iran is only months or a year away from having its first crude nuclear device, which is expected to be modeled on the first U.S. atomic bomb. Iran's decision to remove the seals from the Natanz nuclear facility where uranium enrichment work is being done could speed up Teheran's development timetable. Teheran is seeking to perfect a cascade of centrifuges to spin uranium hexafluoride gas (UF6) into highly enriched uranium for bombs. So far, Iran has processed some 80 tons of uranium ore into UF6. It also is working on groups of 164 centrifuges as the first step toward operating a 2,000-centrifuge cascade. U.S. officials say the latest enrichment activity resumption is the clearest sign that Iran is intent on developing nuclear weapons and not a peaceful nuclear program to produce electricity. The Iranian nuclear program is advanced. Once the centrifuges are working, Teheran will be able to convert enough UH6 to produce four or five bombs, according to government specialists. -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: osint@yahoogroups.com Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
