Thursday, Mar 31, 2005
Thursday, Mar 31, 2005 |
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NATANZ, MARCH 30. A group of journalists was taken deep underground today by the Iranian Government into the heart of a key nuclear plant, which the United States wants permanently closed and whose existence was a secret until 2002. About 30 local and foreign journalists visited Natanz uranium enrichment facility, 250 km south of Teheran, the centrepiece of Iran's disputed atomic fuel drive. The unprecedented visit was an unusual gesture of openness by Iran. Reporters, allowed to photograph and film the plant, were later taken to another atomic facility in the central city of Isfahan. Iran says its nuclear programme is nothing for the world to fear and will be only used to generate much-needed electricity. But Washington and the European Union fear Teheran could use its nuclear plants to produce bombs. The journalists, invited to accompany the Iranian President, Mohammad Khatami, on an inspection of the 1,110-acre site, were taken deep inside a building where, two levels below ground, they were shown a vast empty hall designed to house 50,000 enrichment centrifuges. Centrifuges purify uranium fluoride gas into reactor or bomb fuel by spinning at high speeds. Low-grade enriched uranium is used in atomic power plants but highly enriched uranium can be used in the core of a bomb. Iranian officials said the enrichment facility had been built more than 18 metres below ground due to ``security problems.'' Defence experts say this is a precaution against possible aerial attack by the United States or Israel, both of which have vowed to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear arms. Approaching the complex, ringed by arid mountains, journalists counted at least 10 anti-aircraft batteries. — Reuters
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