Print Iran declares itself a nuclear state

Canadian Jewish News.com By JTA

Thursday, 18 February 2010

JERUSALEM— Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced that Iran has produced its first highly enriched uranium, a day after he said that Israel must be finished off “once and for all.” Ahmadinejad announced the successful production of Iran’s first package of highly enriched uranium, two days after he ordered the processing to begin. The president of the Islamic Republic told the country on live television Feb. 11 that Iran had become a nuclear state. He added, however, that the country is not building nuclear weapons. “We have the capability to enrich uranium more than 20 per cent or 80 per cent, but we don’t enrich [to this level] because we don’t need it,” he said in the speech. The announcement came a day after Ahmadinejad told Syrian President Bashar Assad in a phone conversation reported by Reuters citing Iran’s state broadcaster that “If the Zionist regime should repeat its mistakes and initiate a military operation, then it must be resisted with full force to put an end to it once and for all.” Meanwhile, the European Jewish Congress on Feb. 9 called on European and other members of the UN Security Council to immediately move toward applying “crippling sanctions” against Iran over its refusal to scale back its nuclear program. Canada’s foreign minister, Lawrence Cannon, expressed disappointment with Iran’s latest decision to further enrich unanium. “Canada is deeply disappointed by the Iranian regime’s decision to further enrich its nuclear material – in defiance of UN Security Council resolutions. This regime continues to blatantly ignore its international obligations, and this threatens global security. “Canada and the international community will not accept the regime’s latest moves, which bring Iran considerably closer to possessing weapons-grade material. Iran must suspend its enrichment activity and take immediate steps toward transparency and compliance. “Iran’s regime must address the serious lack of confidence that members of the international community have in its government. “As Prime Minister [Stephen] Harper said on Feb 11, Canada will continue to work with our allies to find strong and viable solutions, including sanctions, to hold Iran to account. Canon also said that Canada would use its G8 presidency to continue to focus international attention and action on the Iranian regime. In this regard, he said, he would be raising the issue at the G8 Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Gatineau in March. “The Government of Canada is also seriously concerned with the Iranian regime’s continued stifling of democracy, its blatant disregard of basic human rights and its irresponsible behaviour – behaviour that is threatening regional and global stability. It is completely unacceptable that the regime continues to use brute force and intimidation in responding to peaceful demonstrations.” With files from CJN Staff