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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.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Runaway1956 on Monday October 23 2017, @12:37PM (5 children)
Uhhhh - did the UK, or did the UK not, forge those documents? The question is not so much whether Iraq had some yellow cake - the question is whether "our side" forged documents, and over hyped the situation. As for the facts - every country in the world has plenty of fissionables to worry about. At least three times, Mexico has mishandled and lost dangerous radioactive materials. In at least two of those cases, there were fatalities as a result. And, Mexico isn't even a real player in the nuclear field.
Yes, of course, Iraq had potential fissionable material. But, where were all of Iraq's physicists? I did some research during the runup to the invasion. A who's who of Iraqi physicists. Well over half of them were out of country. Almost all of the remainder had full time jobs, most of those in academia. There was no one left to run a nuclear weapons program. The senior people available to the Iraqi government were third and fourth stringers, at best. No real physicists.
US and UK intelligence were very much aware that Iraq had no viable nuclear weapons program, despite all the political bullshit being hyped on the media.
BTW - how many tons of yellow cake does it take to refine a ton of useful fissionable material? I'm not real sure, but probably more than 100 tons. Anyone?
ICE is having a Pretti Good season.
(Score: 3, Informative) by requerdanos on Monday October 23 2017, @02:21PM (2 children)
It's "realdonaldwhatever". He's trolling, not participating in community rhetoric.
(Score: 2) by realDonaldTrump on Tuesday October 24 2017, @01:35AM (1 child)
Crooked Dems colluded to sell our uranium to Russia. Crooked Dems said Iran could buy uranium, much more uranium than they have. And all you have to say is "oh, Donald Trump is trolling." Disgraceful!
(Score: 2) by requerdanos on Tuesday October 24 2017, @11:18AM
Admittedly well played, but still.
(Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Monday October 23 2017, @03:44PM (1 child)
over hyped the situation
Wag the dog [independent.co.uk]
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 23 2017, @06:26PM
The breadth of your wisdom is truly only exceeded by its depth.