March 29, 2010 12:00AM
WASHINGTON: UN inspectors and Western intelligence specialists believe Iran may be preparing to build at least two secret nuclear sites, despite demands it open up its program.
The suspicions were prompted by comments from a top Iranian official. The head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation, Ali Akbar Salehi, said in an interview that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had ordered work to begin soon on two new plants.
The plants "will be built inside mountains", he said, presumably to protect them from attacks, The New York Times reported yesterday.
Mr Salehi was quoted as saying: "We may start the construction of two new enrichment sites" in the Iranian new year, which began on March 21.
US President Barack Obama said last September there was a hidden Iranian nuclear site in the mountains near Qom.
US officials say they share the International Atomic Energy Agency's suspicions and are examining satellite evidence about a number of suspected sites in Iran, the Times said.
But they have found no solid indications Iran plans to use the sites to produce nuclear fuel.
US officials are not certain about the number of sites Iran may be planning.
But even if the sites are built, US officials believe they would pose no immediate threat or change US estimates it would take Iran one to four years to obtain the capability to build a nuclear weapon, the paper said.
Source: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/iran-preparing-to-build-two-secret-nuclear-plants/story-e6frg6so-1225846607462
WASHINGTON: UN inspectors and Western intelligence specialists believe Iran may be preparing to build at least two secret nuclear sites, despite demands it open up its program.
The suspicions were prompted by comments from a top Iranian official. The head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation, Ali Akbar Salehi, said in an interview that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had ordered work to begin soon on two new plants.
The plants "will be built inside mountains", he said, presumably to protect them from attacks, The New York Times reported yesterday.
Mr Salehi was quoted as saying: "We may start the construction of two new enrichment sites" in the Iranian new year, which began on March 21.
US President Barack Obama said last September there was a hidden Iranian nuclear site in the mountains near Qom.
US officials say they share the International Atomic Energy Agency's suspicions and are examining satellite evidence about a number of suspected sites in Iran, the Times said.
But they have found no solid indications Iran plans to use the sites to produce nuclear fuel.
US officials are not certain about the number of sites Iran may be planning.
But even if the sites are built, US officials believe they would pose no immediate threat or change US estimates it would take Iran one to four years to obtain the capability to build a nuclear weapon, the paper said.
Source: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/iran-preparing-to-build-two-secret-nuclear-plants/story-e6frg6so-1225846607462
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