http://www.geostrategy-direct.com/geostrategy-direct/secure/2011/06_08/ba.as p?
IAEA report reveals new data pointing to Iran nuke development The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) revealed new information about Iran's covert nuclear weapons programs that includes work on nuclear missile warheads and development of triggering mechanisms and high-explosive detonations used in nuclear bombs. A confidential IAEA report made public in mid-May provided the first details of the watchdog agency s unanswered questions about past nuclear arms work that many experts say is still underway, despite a controversial 2007 U.S. intelligence estimate that said Iran halted work on nuclear arms in 2003. According to the report, the covert Iranian arms work falls into seven areas: . Compression of uranium deuteride to produce a short burst of neutrons. . Uranium conversion and metal work aimed at producing uranium metal and making it into components for a nuclear bomb. . Developing, manufacturing and testing explosive components used to initiate high explosives like those used in triggering a spherical-shaped nuclear warhead pit. . Exploding bridgewire (EBW) detonator work related to "applications necessitating high simultaneity" like those used to trigger a nuclear weapon blast. . Multipoint explosive initiation and hemispherical detonation studies that used detonators to set off hemispherical high explosive charges, and included "work which may have benefited from the assistance of foreign expertise" outside Iran. . High voltage firing equipment used for explosives tests over long distances and possibly underground nuclear tests to determine if high voltage triggering of nuclear detonators can be carried out over long distances. . Missile re-entry vehicle "redesign activities" for a new warhead that is "assessed as being nuclear in nature." The design work included modeling on the removal of a conventional, high explosive warhead from the Shihab-3 missile and its replacement with a "spherical nuclear payload." The report said the IAEA obtained new information on the military aspects of Iran's illegal nuclear program earlier this year. And the report also revealed for the first time that Iran is suspected of receiving foreign support from unspecified places. The report says past information from member states and its own inquiries showed "the possible existence in Iran of past or current undisclosed nuclear related activities involving military related organizations, including activities related to the development of a nuclear payload for a missile." "Since the last report of the Director General on 25 February 2011, the agency has received further information related to such possible undisclosed nuclear related activities, which is currently being assessed by the agency," says the internal IAEA report dated May 24. "As previously reported by the Director General, there are indications that certain of these activities may have continued beyond 2004." That statement helps explain why the CIA in February revised its annual report to Congress on arms proliferation to leave out language contained in earlier reports echoing a controversial 2007 National Intelligence Estimate that said Iran halted work on nuclear arms in 2003. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, discuss-os...@yahoogroups.com. -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor biso...@intellnet.org http://www.intellnet.org Post message: osint@yahoogroups.com Subscribe: osint-subscr...@yahoogroups.com Unsubscribe: osint-unsubscr...@yahoogroups.com *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. 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