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posted by martyb on Monday October 23 2017, @02:06AM   Printer-friendly
from the We-have-always-been-at-war-with-Eurasia dept.

Iran Doesn't Have a Nuclear Weapons Program. Why Do Media Keep Saying It Does?

When it comes to Iran, do basic facts matter? Evidently not, since dozens and dozens of journalists keep casually reporting that Iran has a "nuclear weapons program" when it does not—a problem FAIR has reported on over the years (e.g., 9/9/15). Let's take a look at some of the outlets spreading this falsehood in just the past five days:

Business Insider (10/13/17): "The deal, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), aims to incentivize Iran to curb its nuclear weapons program by lifting crippling international economic sanctions."

New Yorker (10/16/17): "One afternoon in late September, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called a meeting of the six countries that came together in 2015 to limit Iran's nuclear weapons program."

Washington Post (10/16/17): "The administration is also considering changing or scrapping an international agreement regarding Iran's nuclear weapons program."

CNN (10/17/17): "In reopening the nuclear agreement, [Trump] risks having Iran advance its nuclear weapons program at a time when he confronts a far worse nuclear challenge from North Korea that he can't resolve."

The problem with all of these excerpts: There is no documentation that Iran has a nuclear weapons program.


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  • (Score: 2) by frojack on Monday October 23 2017, @09:25PM

    by frojack (1554) on Monday October 23 2017, @09:25PM (#586582) Journal

    it is in the national interest to prepare and plan for things even if there is no imminent intent to commission an actual operation to build or use the equipment required for it. This is done in an offensive and defensive situation, you have to examine and understand potential threats in as much detail as possible if you intend to protect yourself from them.

    Is it really in their national interest?

    Iran has several deep underground secret places that attract a lot of interest, from which IAEA and some powers are banned.

    The thing is, if they open these bases to world observers, and if, as claimed, they have no Nuclear Weapons program, Iran suddenly becomes as interesting as Bolivia or Iceland, and they get to go about their business of sowing revolution in their neighborhood with nobody bothering them.

    Russia is building them Reactors. Countries have offered them fuel for these reactors. [reuters.com] Take the fuel, let inspectors in, and the whole problem goes away.

    The US and Russia already have such mutual inspection agreements under START treaties. Even during the height of the Ukraine conflict Russian inspectors were allowed in [freebeacon.com] for regularly scheduled visits.

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