Iran, a country regarded as a major red herring by Western powers, has been at the center of all debates on the international stage following the acceleration of its uranium enrichment program. The Iranian issue is presented now as "The central political issue of our time" mixing all the new regional and global issues: Renaissance of Shiite Islam, Iraqi and Afghan wars, Israeli-Palestinian conflict, developments in the Lebanese issue, nuclear deterrence, proliferation, oil supplies, etc.
We talk about the nuclear program as a "global threat" that could upset all the rules of regional and global geopolitics, with the possible opening of new scenarios that could threaten world order. The Iranian regime headed by figures the Western powers deem as extreme and unstable, has no parallel in the world. Iran bears a mixture of institutions that is more theocratic in nature, rather than democratic. The Conservatives, now in power in Iran, use and abuse the concept of Iranian nationalism to keep their hold on power, and insist vehemently on the right of the nation to nuclear power. The Iranian government has been accused of playing on national sentiments regarding national unity to disqualify reformists. But the Iranian regime's nuclear obsession disturbs the country and is the cause of it being stigmatized, and singled out by the international community, which accuses it of covertly developing nuclear weapons.
How can one explain the centrality given to the Iranian nuclear issue in recent years while the nuclear program dates from the late 1950s? How is one to understand the absolute determination of the Western powers to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear technology? Is the hypothesis of a nuclear Iran so dangerous for world stability and regional "peace"? What are the real issues underlying the Iranian nuclear issue?
The Iranian nuclear program was born, contrary to general opinion, in the late 1950s during the reign of the dynasty of Pahalavi. Technology was established in Iran through the assistance of the United States and its "Atoms for Peace" program was mentioned for the first time in a speech by Eisenhower in 1953. Iran is not the only country to have initially benefited from this program. Indeed the United States offered assistance to over twenty countries, including France through delivery of highly enriched uranium and plutonium. Even today, the US is behind akin assistance programs in Cairo, Tehran, Tokyo and Karachi.
The project "Atoms for Peace" was intended to control nuclear proliferation by controlling a "tool of peace" and not for military purposes. Iran's nuclear program was expected to develop the grid covering 25% of the population. One wonders however why the country has not chosen to use its massive oil resources for power generation.
We can ask ourselves if this program did not hold geopolitical objectives rather than purely economic ones. Indeed, Iran's nuclear program in Iran is exported driven. This shows an American desire to have significant control over the global nuclear force at the time - the United States and the USSR were engaged in a dangerous nuclear arms race at that time.
Tags: Nuclear proliferation, Iranian nuclear program, Atoms for Peace project
[...] TERTRAIS Bruno, Iran, the next war, Le Cherche Midi, Paris Nader Barzin, Iran nuclear, Harmattan, Paris Jean-Pierre Digard, Hourcade Bernard and RICHARD Yann, Iran in the twentieth century - between nationalism, Islam and globalization, Fayard, Paris The Nuclear Threat Initiative.Nuclear Chronology 1957-1985, [Online], http://www.nti.org/e_research/profiles/1825_1826.html (Accessed May 2010) Principal component of one of two methods of manufacturing a nuclear bomb. A method eventually to provide plutonium, a major component of the second technique to manufacture a nuclear bomb. These documents are available on the virtual library of Gerald Ford Some attacks and hostage charged to Hezbollah were analyzed as a consequence of this refusal to refund. [...]
[...] The Shah took advantage of the spectacular increase in financial income following the oil boom to multiply projects and collaborations in the nuclear project, "We plan to produce, as soon as possible megawatts of electricity using nuclear plants " Among the major contributors of Iran, Germany and France found a comfortable niche.The two powers were trying to establish itself in Iran, the usual preserve of Great Britain, Russia and the United States.In collaboration with the Iranian government, these countries planned the construction of seven nuclear power plants - five in France and two in Germany, including that of Bushehr which opened in 1975. [...]
[...] The Islamic Republic then contacted the IAEA to express its willingness to resume nuclear program.The IAEA agreed to issue to Iranian scientists technical assistance. However this initiative was to blocked due to U.S. pressure. The Islamic Republic returns to imperial plans despite initial speech calling for the general denuclearization. The new Islamic regime embraces the pre-revolutionary nationalism. The second feat of this revival of the nuclear program by the Islamic Republic is the resumption of construction of the Bushehr nuclear power plant in 1995 by Russia. [...]
[...] of a nuclear Iran so dangerous for world stability and for regional What are the real issues emanating from the Iranian nuclear issue? I - The premise of the Iranian nuclear program Atoms for Peace The first Iranian nuclear program was created, contrary to what general opinion may have us believe, in the late 1950s during the reign of the Pahalavi dynasty. Technology was established in Iran through the aid given by United States and its "Atoms for Peace" program was mentioned for the first time in a speech by Eisenhower in 1953. [...]
[...] In continuation, Ahmadinejad opened the first factory in Isfahan nuclear fuel manufacturing and continuous increase in the number of centrifuges at Natanz. Yet in the context of accelerating the process restarted direct nuclear negotiations between Iran and world powers. With respect to the internationalization of Iranian issue The 1st October 2009 held a major meeting in Geneva between the six countries in charge of the Iranian nuclear issue. The objective was to resume the dialogue with Iran after fourteen months of silence. [...]
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