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Iran Begins Loading Fuel at its Bushehr Nuclear Reactor
Nationwide celebrations as Russian engineers oversee the arrival of an initial fuel shipment at Iran's first nuclear power plant
The operation to load fuel into Iran's first nuclear power station has begun amid nationwide celebration.
The control room at the Bushehr nuclear power plant, where Iran has begun loading fuel under Russian supervision Photograph: Mehdi Ghasemi/AP Russian engineers will operate the Bushehr plant in southern Iran, supplying its nuclear fuel and taking away the nuclear waste.
At the inauguration of the plant today, the head of the Iran's atomic energy organisation, Ali Akbar Salehi, said it demonstrated that the country's nuclear aims were entirely peaceful - an assertion that the US questions.
Describing the plant as a symbol of Iranian resistance, Salehi added: "Despite all pressure, sanctions and hardships imposed by western nations, we are now witnessing the start-up of the largest symbol of Iran's peaceful nuclear activities."
The first truckload of fuel was taken today from a storage site to a fuel pool inside the reactor building under the watch of monitors from the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency. Over the next two weeks, 163 fuel assemblies, equal to 80 tonnes of uranium fuel, will be moved inside the building and then into the reactor core.
It will be another two months before the 1,000-megawatt, light water reactor begins supplying electricity to Iranian cities.
Russia, which helped finish building the plant, has pledged to safeguard the site and prevent spent nuclear fuel from being used to make nuclear weapons. Moscow believes the Bushehr project is essential in persuading Iran to cooperate with international efforts to ensure it does not develop nuclear arms.
Washington disagrees, arguing that Iran should not be rewarded while it continues to defy UN demands to halt the enrichment of uranium, a process used to produce fuel for power plants but which can also be used in weapons production.
The Bushehr plant poses little proliferation risk since Russia is supplying the enriched uranium for the reactor and will take away spent fuel that could be used to make weapons-grade plutonium.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said yesterday that Iran would stop enriching uranium to a high grade if it was assured of the supplies it needed for a research reactor.
27 Comments so far
Show AllWell done on your achievement despite the interference of the American and Israeli dogs of war who are doing their damnedest to appropriate your oil reserves.
OK so the technology for the nuke power station is Russian but for those who have no idea about the history of Iranian/Persian/Mesopotamian scientific accomplishment it's worth taking a peep at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_and_technology_in_Iran
Impressive !!! Iran is no rag-tag state. An attack by Israel would be...who knows.?!... Not good.
Good work - get that thing up and running. More low-carbon energy for the people of Iran...
The dogs of war have no interest at all in Iran's nuclear programme -- the name of the game is Regime Change. If the Shah was in power and Iran had ICBMs with multiple nuclear warheads, the country would be rewarded with $billions for every sort of imaginable weapon. Control of Iran and its fossil energies is key to the US great game in Central Asia.
"If the Shah was in power and Iran had ICBMs with multiple nuclear warheads, the country would be rewarded with $billions for every sort of imaginable weapon." –(JohnE)
–No doubt. Imperial systems work exactly this way.
Many, if not most, liberals and progressives may rightfully oppose all nuclear energy for 'environmental' or even 'humanitarian' reasons, which in a perfect world, would be entirely correct and indeed justified. But then, liberals and progressives believe in the tooth fairy and Snow White too.
But the 'death cult'– otherwise known as Israel and America– have seen to it that the 'fairy tale' world exists only for the dead or the soon to be dead. Perhaps they too would think differently if they too were included in this grim calculus? Perhaps these psychopaths would even choose to 'do the right thing' by unilaterally disarming and destroying all their own nuclear weaponry? Well, guess what?
With the fascist tandem of Israel and America breathing down one's neck, Iran's nuclear achievement is cause for celebration. This would be true, (which it is not), even if the explicit purpose was the development of retaliatory weaponry, clandestine or not, to which Iran–given the circumstances–would be entirely justified in so doing.
The very existence of Israel, and for that matter America, is all the justification one need's for the development of nuclear weaponry as a deterrent against the malefic war mongers.
Thus it is with deep regret that Iran's nascent nuclear industry is not being used for truly 'peaceful purposes,' (i.e. nuclear deterrence) namely keeping Israel and America at bay, not infrastructural ones, which in truth, matter little to the forces which intend to destroy it, no matter what.
Our congratulations to the Iranian people! May their energy costs plummet so they can continue making those wonderful rice dishes such as Âlbâloo Polow (Rice with Sour Cherries), if the 21st Century Nazi's do not bomb them into oblivion first.
Congratulations
I'm torn.
I'm rooting for Iran as a persecuted and put-upon nuclear underdog even though I don't trust nuclear energy technology.
Besides, it's hard to cheer knowing that somewhere, Harvey Wasserman is weeping. ;)
probably john bolton is weeping too, as his 8 day time frame for israel to bomb the site has now expired..............
More white hair for that shaggy dog-looking moustache.
This is one of his (Bolton)lucid momnets.You dont hear much from him.Has he been discarded by Israeli lobby as an used condom? How is he supporting himself? Who are his caregivers at this end stage?
I share your feelings, O. S.
What a fitting name for a nuclear reactor, Bushehr. A combination of Bush and Fuhrer.
I wouldn't be surprised to find out that someone in the Bush distinguished family of war profiteers is somehow behind this one too, thanks to the Russians this time, and demanded some sort of credit.
If he were still in the White House, Bush would be making speeches condemning the Iranians but calling consigliere James Baker the same day to see if their checks cleared. But what am I saying? Bush is still in the White House, except that he's now wearing makeup, like Al Jolson.
Yes, Obama is Bush in blackface. Obama's Nobel Prize acceptance speech seemed to be written by Bush's NeoCon speech writers. The joke is on US. Obama is an inside man who lied his way into our hearts and minds. I now believe that John Kerry would have been another inside man. Search youtube for the BBC's "White House Coup" of the early 30's. Heinz, (Kerry's money), was named in the BBC documentary as one of the industrialist who tried to overthrow Roosevelt. John Kerry was a Bonesman like the Bush's. Our two party system is rotten to the core.
(In part 3 of the BBC documentary Heinz is named shortly after the one minute mark of the 9:54 min audio clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mav69K2zkgw&feature=related)
Kerry married a decedent of the cut throat Heinz, I have a decendent of JP next door and he is OK except for cutting too many trees.
For those interested in the plot to get rid of Franklin D Roosevelt, it has been documented in Jules Archer's book called The Plot to Seize the White House. I read it, and I don't at all remember anyone from the Heinz family being involved although J P Morgan, Al Smith, John W Davis, and likely Douglass MacArthur were. Now deal with that. these were hard core right wingers absolutely couldn't stand FDR. Nor do I think John Kerry would have been as worthless as either the current US president or Slick Willy.
AD
In part 3 of the BBC documentary Heinz is named shortly after the one minute mark of the 9:54 min audio clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mav69K2zkgw&feature=related
Add Henry Ford and Prescott Bush (Dubya's grandfather) to the list of assassin wannabes.
Prescott Bush and GM were named but, Ford was not named. Sometimes whole books are funded and written for the sole purpose of covering tracks and obscuring history. "We" won't know our own history for a thousand years.
As I read the news today, I see that Iran is beginning to start up the reactor. The news out of Iran also states that they hope to receive S-300 antimissile system from Russia. They also proclaimed the development of an un-manned aircraft. It seems that Iran is taunting, challenging Israel to attack them - - now. I do not know why they would do that. Oye Vey. There's no way to delay that trouble coming everyday (Frank Zappa).
"It seems that Iran is taunting, challenging Israel to attack them." –(ekzile)
Or, the more simple and logical reason, out of the obvious need for self defense.
"Taunting," has nothing to do with it.
And if the day comes, let us hope the Russian anti missiles are successful in destroying the Zionist terror strike.
Here is an excerpt from the Jerusalem Post:
Israel 'too weak face up to Iran'
By JPOST.COM STAFF
08/22/2010 22:51
Ahmadinejad dismisses US as "unable to beat a small army in Iraq."
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad rejected fears of an attack on Iran, taunting Israel as "too weak to face up to Iran militarily," and the US as unable to beat even a small army in Iraq, speaking in an interview with Al-Jazeera Sunday.
"Israel doesn't have the courage to do it," Ahmadinejad said, "and I do not think its threat is serious." He also stated that "America is not interested in sparking a military confrontation with Iran."
http://www.jpost.com/International/Article.aspx?id=185631
I suppose it is necessary to point out that I am not denying (or accepting) Iran's right to self defense nor accepting (or denying) Israel's right to exist. What I am pointing out is that this is a very dangerous situation that is on the brink of becoming a worldwide disaster with horrifying consequences.
Iran's right to self defense would not be a question among sane people.
We are all heading for disaster much worse than what we have now and you are cheering it on. I guess you are a pretty touch guy far from the scene of the action - - kind of a "bring it on" type guy - - I guess macho is one word for it - - Mars rules; Kali rules. Do you think nuclear warfare in Middle East is a joke or an impossibility? Do you think Iran can stop being destroyed by US and Israel if it goes in that direction? You may be sorry some day, perhaps soon, that you encouraged this process. Israel and USA can destroy Iran and suffer some thousands of casualties, distruption of trade/economy but I don't think Iran can stop it's destruction with their defenses. I think it is coming soon.
I do not think that the Iranian defenses will save them from a devastating attack by Israel and USA. This is a very dangerous game that could have disastrous consequences for all parties involved and beyond. As you well know, Israel has many nuclear weapons and the USA has an aggressive force that would overpower Iran's defenses. There could be some huge battles but Iran will lose the most, in fact, I would say, destroyed.
Duh, how provocative is an anti missile system and drones within your own territories
Should Iran being drawing hugh targets on itself??
Provocative is the USA's acceleration of new nuclear weapons development (new triggers).