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Internationl Institute of Strategic Studies Warns:

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 Iran to Have Nuke This Year?

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The International Institute of Strategic Studies has issued a warning today that Iran could become a nuclear power in 2009. The IISS announcement notes what A-O has been indicating for a year now. Iran will have enough enriched uranium to make a single nuclear weapon in 2009.

The Internalional Institute for Strategic Studies (ISS) predicts the Iranians will be in such a position to make a nuclear weapon later this year. The think tank's Mark Fitzpatrick madet the announcement on Tuesday, January 27, at its annual global review of military powers. Fitzpatrck stated:

    "During 2009, Iran will probably reach the point at which it has produced the amount of low-enriched uranium needed to make a nuclear bomb, but being able to enrich uranium is not the same as having a nuclear weapon."

The IISS doubts US Intelligence estimates that Iran halted its work on nuclear weapons in 2003 when the US invaded Iraq. Why? One factor suggesting Iran continued with its nuclear weapons program is the fact that Iran has continued to develop long-range ballistic missiles that are able to reach targets in Israel but also far beyond, including ICBM potential.

So with this new assessment by the IISS, the think-tank is recommending a carrot and stick approach as being the best international response. The group suggests diplomacy and negotiations along with containment strategies to test Iran for cooperation. Other think-tanks are reaching similiar conclusions, much as did the Bush administration.

The various intelligence groups and agencies though are reluctant to put a time frame on it. The ISS report itself says thave having enough enirched uranium to build a warhead is not the same thing as actually building the warhead. For more on this story, LINK HERE.

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