John VI Cantacuzenes Alert. By Mark Franchetti in the TimesOnline, with thanks to Pamela:
RUSSIA is to begin supplying Iran with nuclear fuel early next year despite mounting concern in the West that this could accelerate Tehran’s plans to build a nuclear bomb.Sergei Shmatko, head of Atomstroyexport, Russia’s state nuclear fuel exporter, said last week that preparations to send fuel to Iran would start next month and the first consignment was expected to reach the Islamic republic in early spring.
The announcement, at a time when Russia is asserting itself as an energy power, has caused anxiety in western countries which are trying to convince the Kremlin to end its nuclear co-operation with Tehran.
The concerns were strengthened yesterday when President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was reported to have told a Kuwaiti envoy that Iran was ready to transfer its nuclear technology to neighbouring countries.
The nuclear fuel will be sent to Bushehr, Iran’s first nuclear power station, which has been built by Russia over the past decade as part of a £450m contract. Iran says the plant will be used to produce energy and that its nuclear programme is solely for civilian purposes.
Officially at least Moscow accepts the claim. The West has little doubt that Tehran’s real aim is to build a nuclear bomb and is afraid that as a nuclear power Iran would threaten Israel and destabilise the region.
Russia ......Democracy's too hard, It's Easier to be EVIL!
Stupid , Stupid , Stupid!
I guess they didn't learn a Damn thing from Chechnia, and the Islamic Terrorists there?
Well when the Black Rain Falls on Moscow we can say, we told you so.
I can't believe that they are so shortsighted!
I say wait till the reactor is up and running, then bomb it!
Re: Russia defies West and goes ahead with nuclear fuel sale to Iran
Putin is using Iran and the Psychotic-In-Iran as a bargaining chip. The Psychotic-In-Iran etc. may be used as an inducement for giving Russia technology, or for the purposes of selling more oil to the West, or to reestablish Russian hegemony over eastern Europe, particularly the Ukraine. The motives of Putin likely involve a number of things, but all of the involve Putin's ideas of what is good for Russia.
A nuclear armed Iran is a great danger to Russia and so all of this dealing with the Psychotic has another objective. (It is somewhat similar to Stalin dealing with Hitler.) We must be realistic on this matter and realize that our supremacist assumptions re popular democracy with Russia may be as delusional as the beliefs of the Psychotic-In-Iran or the supremacist beliefs of Islam in general, or even the stealth-supremacist assumptions of multiculturalism.
Just as Churchill was willing (in the 1930's) to give Stalin and Russia a good deal in order to stop Hitler, we must be realistic re Putin and Russia now. The collapse of the Soviet Union meant that the Russian Empire vanished overnight. The Russian Empire was built over a period of 400 years and in a very short period the borders of Russia were returned to those of 1600. Putin recently commented that the fall of the USSR was a "geopolitical disaster". He meant that it was a geopolitical disaster for Russia. Putin is using Iran as a hostage to reestablish some of the geopolitical pieces of the Russian puzzle.
The game Putin is playing is somewhat dangerous. The game Stalin played with Hitler backfired and this could backfire for Russia. However, just as Churchill knew in the 1930's that the key to stopping Hitler was in Moscow, the key to stopping the Psychotic-In-Iran and the new Nazis is in Moscow.
The problem we face with Russia is similar to the problems we have in the Middle East. It is our supremacist assumptions re popular democracy that are blinding us to reality.
What we mean by democracy is a secular representative government and a system of checks and balances that pit the executive and legislative branches of government against each other and an independent judiciary as a third part of the structure. All of this is meant to be like a Gothic cathedral where the stones pitted against each other actually make the whole structure stronger. The "separation of powers" is meant to create a society in which public opinion matters. That is what we mean by "democracy".
We think "democracy" is superior. (It is superior-for us.) All cultures have supremacist beliefs, and this is our creed. However, we live in a world where public opinion rarely matters, except in a few places such as India, Japan, and Europe.
Our supremacist assumptions makes Chaney go to the Ukraine and there chastise Putin and Russia for not being "democratic". But Putin is not thinking about "democracy" as being the tool to reestablish what Russia lost in what Putin has called "a geopolitical disaster" (the collapse of the USSR). He's a Russian nationalist who thinks "democracy" is not in Russian interests at this time.
We are as delusional re our supremacist assumptions re "democrcy" as the Psychotic-In-Iran is re Islam, Jews and re Unbelievers. I would not be surprised if Putin thinks we are as crazy re "democracy" as the Psychotic is re Islam.
Russia is somehow irritating.
I know that there are many Russian Jews in Israel and hope that they are cutting the deal to pay for the destruction then.
I should have added Israel to my list of the few places where public opinion matters. It is a democratic nation in the midst of a totalitarian Islamic sea. A few societies in the world float on a great totalitarian sea.
However, we are generally as delusional re exporting "democracy" as Muslims are re Islam. Putin wishes to get back some of the pieces of the lost Russian Empire, an empire whose borders returned to those of 1600 overnight after the collapse of the USSR. Putin is as po'd at the US for frustrating this as he is at the Islamic maniacs that Russia has had to deal with in the past decade. Just as Churchill wanted to deal with Stalin to stop Hitler, we must be realistic re Putin's goals for Russia and make a good deal with him. The new Nazis are the problem for everyone. We can talk about "democracy" later with Putin and Russia.
americaningermany-
Disraeli once said, "nations do not have friends, they have interests". Bush is not a realistic guy. I think he's basically a decent man, but I think his judgement of people stinks. Putin is the kind of guy who will strangle a person with his bear hands. My hunch is that when he was in the KGB he actually did that. I don't know what Bush was seeing with Putin, but it was not reality.
Whatever Putin does he does for Putin and Russia, just as Stalin in that matter. He's similar to Stalin. However, Putin is not crazy. He's a realist who will only kill for very practical reasons. He's an icy SOB. However, it's better to give him a good deal than to deal with the Psychotic-In-Iran.
americaningermany-
Putin is like Vito Corleone. He's not crazy. It's business. But like Vito, he will order a hit when it's good for business. He might even be a pleasant guy to deal with-so long as it does not interfere with business.
"I know that there are many Russian Jews in Israel and hope that they are cutting the deal to pay for the destruction then".
Arnie-
If I understand you right, I think you mean they should seek to give Putin and Russia a good deal. I agree.
Russia needs technology, she needs to sell more oil (and recently passed Saudi Arabia there). We must open our markets to Russia in the matter of oil. Israel and the US should help with technology. We must also be aware that Russia is somewhat geopolitically isolated after the collapse of the Russian Empire. They need to be drawn to Europe. (I don't pretend to be some expert here. I see what I see.)
All of this has to be done from the Russian point of view with the goal of beating the Psychotic and the new Nazis. Politics here is like a woman. If you want what you want you have to give her what she wants and do things with her point of view in mind.
they should seek to give Putin and Russia a good deal. I agree.
Posted by: Frank
Why should we reward every act of aggression by our enemies with good deals?
Russia needs to be read the riot act.
A stance similar to the stance taken by the U.S. over the Cuban missile crisis needs to be adopted.
Russia is acting in every possible way, not as an ally or as a nation being oportunistic with trade deals but as an enemy of the West.
Are you Russian by any chance Frank?
Speaking of fake allies --- and JihadWatch.org speaks loudly of such 7 days a week --- Russia and China must be taken into review now.
americaningermany-
I agree with you. Bush has bad judgement with people. I don't know why that is so.
The administration lacks people with a strong sense of history. The last president that had a real sense of history was Nixon-and though he did have good judgement re people-he had anger problems and was somewhat self-hating. Americans don't like angry people as leaders.
What we need is a Churchill. (Reagan was an intuitive type-even he would be better than what we have now.) We need someone with a good sense of history, emotional balance and who is realistic about people. We don't have leaders, we have corporate manager types who are blind outside their own field.
Ironically ,this crowd is influenced by the multicultural "mosaic" crap and they really don't understand what culture is about. That's why they are not saying the truth re Islam. We need a Churchill or a Nixon minus Nixon's anger-resentment problem.
russia is crazy i can understnad why russia is angry at the west and russia has every right to be mad at the west for there support of the mujahdeen during the afgan war and also usa has been trying to help chechnya break away from russia also the west is constantly provoking russia by building NATO bases in former soviet countrys the west should stop provoking.
Russia is making a huge mistake iran supports the chechens also who else will iran give those nuclear weapons to if they make them? turkey is on the Border with iran. maybe russia is doing this just for money but secretly hoping that the usa or isreal bombs irans nuclear powerplant if iran gets a nuclear powerplant or maybe who knows maybe russia might change its mind i hope
AIG, about Bush benig too chummy with leaders, in politics its front, nothing more, nothing less.
Putin like his stupid predescors is playing with fire (nukes) and it will backfire on hin. Russian leaders are too stupid to lear from history. they keep betting on the wrong horse!
Greek Gurl-
I agree with you in general. Putin is playing the same kind of game that Stalin played with Hitler in trying to get concessions from the West to partly re establish the Russian hegemony that was lost with the collapse of the Russian Empire in the 1990's. It will backfire if he's not careful. The Psychotic is as dangerous as Hitler, who was also a fanatic. It's a good idea to kill these fanatics in the cradle and not let them grow up into big monsters.
It's a good idea to do business with Putin (who is not crazy). We have to let go of this "democracy" crap overseas and deal with reality. We should do everything possible to make a good deal with Putin and Russia. They will be a real ally if we play our cards realistically and not thump our "democracy" koran in his/their face. The danger are the new Nazis (the guys whose behavior and whose belief-system has turned our airports into totalitarian places, airports that were so free not long ago) for us and for them.
Communist Russia didn't die...it just transformed the struggle to a cultural war.
Gorbachev's speech to the Politburo in 1987, just prior to "the collapse":
"Gentlemen, comrades, do not be concerned about all you hear about glasnost and perestroika and democracy in the coming years. These are primarily for outward consumption. There will be no significant internal change within the Soviet Union, other than for cosmetic purposes. Our purpose is to disarm the Americans and let them fall asleep."
Read the article, Russina footprints by Ion Mihai Pacepa :
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NjUzMGU4NTMyOTdkOTdmNTA1MWJlYjYyZDliODZkOGM=
An excerpt :
"In 1972, the Kremlin decided to turn the whole Islamic world against Israel and the U.S. As KGB chairman Yury Andropov told me, a billion adversaries could inflict far greater damage on America than could a few millions. We needed to instill a Nazi-style hatred for the Jews throughout the Islamic world, and to turn this weapon of the emotions into a terrorist bloodbath against Israel and its main supporter, the United States. No one within the American/Zionist sphere of influence should any longer feel safe.
According to Andropov, the Islamic world was a waiting petri dish in which we could nurture a virulent strain of America-hatred, grown from the bacterium of Marxist-Leninist thought. Islamic anti-Semitism ran deep. The Muslims had a taste for nationalism, jingoism, and victimology. Their illiterate, oppressed mobs could be whipped up to a fever pitch."
Also, "How the Soviets Gave the Mullahs the Bomb"
By Jamie Glazov
http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=24019
Also read the following article by Fjordman :
"Political Correctness - The Revenge of Marxism"
You might also want to read a book called,
"New Lies for Old"
by Anatoliy Golitsyn
'An ex-KGB officer warns how communist deception threatens the survival of the West.'
Copyright 1984
Paperback published by Dodd, Mead & Company
New York
I found a review of "New Lies for Old"
by Anatoliy Golitsyn :
National Review, Sept 7, 1984 by Arnold Beichman
An excerpt, (this review was written in 1984 remember, several years before the "collapse" of the Soviet Union) :
"Most startling is Golitsyn's prediction that is part of the Communist bloc's strategy for victory the following events will soon occur: a public Soviet-Chinese reconciliation; a "spectacular and impressive" liberalization in the Communist bloc with amnesty for dissidents, who would be invited to return; the freeing of Sakharov, more trade-union independence, adoption of constitutional amendments guaranteeing fulfillment of the Helsinki agreements, reduction in the role of Communist parties; a revival of controlled "democratization" on the Czech pattern for Eastern Europe, and even the return of Dubcek to power; demolition of the Berlin Wall--all of them in reality "cosmetic steps," says Golitsyn, because they have been handed down from on high."
All of these Golitsyn's predictions came true, including the demolition of the Berlin wall.
Great job Russia! Keep it up, and while you're at it, just arm Al-Qaeda with some nukes too.
Reagan was an intuitive type-even he would be better than what we have now.)
Posted by: Frank at December 17, 2006 07:06 AM
I deem a Reagan type as being exactly what we need right now. Although I was only 12, I recall Iran releasing the hostages as soon as he was sworn in as President.
Subsequently, he did manage to successfully play both sides of the Iran / Iraq war during his administartion.
As a matter of fact, I recall Russia's collapse on his watch as well. It seems he never was on the short end on any foreign policy issue. Ahhhh, Those were the good old days.
Bush could achieve similar results with the current de-stabilization of Iraq, if he weren't such a damn Saudi loving fool.
Is it just me or does Bush's hard-line stance on the "war on terror" seem inexplicably soft and riddled with conflicts of interest?
The whole, "vote republican or the terrorists will kill you", mantra by Cheney did get Bush re-elected, but at what cost. It appears it was just bravado from them all along.
The current administartion is either too corrupt or just too blind to see the truth. The problem is that neither one of those answers are good...
Russia suppllying Iran with nuclear fuel (and EU giving aggressive Iran moral support by persisting that "problems need to be solved with diplomatic means") is a crime, but not a iota worse than American support for Muslims in Bosnia and Kosovo that helped creation of Muslim states at the expence of the Serbian state , along with a land grab, and made a decisive contribution to bringing Jihad to Europe (and to USA too). To me it looks that Russian and USA policy are very comparable. Shortsighted, arrogant, ignorant. Which in case of Russia is perhaps a little bit more amasing, - one thinks that Russians should know it better. But apparently they don´t.
THE HYPOCRITCAL UNION OF MARX AND MOHAMMED
Russians yesterday demonstrated en masse against Putin's recent consolidation of power in his administration, comparing him to a communist dictator. I wonder what he's up to...
Putin wants to share Russia's nuke tech w/ a documented genocidal lunatic like Iran's president what's-his-name. What is Putin's broader goal? I don't buy for a second that this is about making a few bucks for the mother country. He fully appreciates the grave risk for the good nations of the world if Iran's Islamic theocracy has a nuclear arsenal to empower their global agenda.
I've been amazed to see the communists siding w/ the Muslims lately. IDEOLOGICALLY they have NOTHING in common. Both of their respective ideals call for the demise of each other. Marx would call Islam an opiate of the people and make Islam ILLEGAL in a communist state. Muhhamed would call the communists infidels and enslave/murder the atheists.
The commies and the terrorists do share one important thing: Satan, the god of this world. Notice how only Israel and Christian nations are defending freedom against these lunies. France, now secular, ostensibly has more in common IDEOLOGICALLY w/ the West, but offers no support against the commies or jihadists. The same w/ other completely secular nations, like Belgium, Netherlands, Sweden, etc.
It PROVES that secular liberalism CANNOT provide the motivating impetus to combat the darkest of evils in the world, and therefore is a FAILED ideology--and really just another devise being used by the god of this world to weaken his only two enemies.
i agree with you serbian girl russia giving nuclear technology to iran is no better then when the west supported the bosnians and kosovo muslims. and aslo when it supported the mujahadeen against russia. Also the british empire contributed to the creation of Pakistan which is not only muslim but also a nuclear power.
I just hope that russia wakes up and relises that supporting iran is a threat not just to isreal but also to Greece Europe and russia itsself
It's time for all nations to choose their sides.
In fact that's what many like Russia are doing.
Sickening! They are suffering from historical amnesia! Quoted and Permalinked to you in my blog today.
In the mid 1980's I was in attendance at a dinner party in Frankfort, GE. Our table partners who were "oil engineers" who worked in Iran & Iraq made a joke that I didn't get til the Berlin wall went down.
"Ronnie (Regan) and Gorbie (Gorbachov) are sitting at a table having a drink. Ronnie says 'Guess what, Gorbie? There never was a Star Wars!"
Sometimes the things that our Government is doing are not as clear on the surface as they appear to be.
For instance, why would Russia ask to go to the Moon with us one week and turn around and give Nuclear fuel to Iran the next?
Maybe to hasten the demise of I'm-a-nut-job's government? After all, if we attack them now they are perceived as the underdog cause they have no real power to threaten anyone.
Even cops don't put the gun in the guys hand after they shoot them anymore, it doesn't hold up in court.
if you click on that link timesonline and read the rest of the article it says
Shmatko estimated Bushehr would become operational about six months after the first fuel reaches it in March.
“We are simply fulfilling our contractual obligations,” said Irina Esipova, of Atomstroyexport. “Every country has a right to develop its own peaceful nuclear power programme. The fuel is ready and in storage in Siberia. In the spring it will be sent to Tehran by plane.”
After lengthy negotiations last year Moscow signed an agreement with Iran that the Russians believe will prevent the Islamic republic from developing a nuclear device.
Spent nuclear fuel produced at the Bushehr plant is to be sent back to Russia for storage and the process will be monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency. But there are fears in America that Iran will find ways of siphoning off spent fuel containing plutonium, which could be used for a bomb.
i dont think russia wants iran getting a nuclear device or else why would it make negociations with iran not to and also the Atomic Energy agency will be monitored maybe its not as bad as it looks
The Russians are more interested in throwing their weight around by being a stupid pain in the rump than in doing the sensible and right thing. One day they will rue the day that they ever kissed up to Iran.
American in Germany (do you ever sleep?), Greek girl, thank you.
El greco: in 1985 I was a young girl of 20 studing as exhange student in London. And I have seen many English housewifes (were they drunken?), selling this awful Afganistan garments (sort of hats, part of their attire) in their free time (of which they seemed to have a lot but unfortunately without ability to spend it with some meaningful activity, such as reading history books, understanding the world etc.), - the money went to mujahedeen, called by English housewifes "freedom fighters" back in those days. They also spent their time with writing letters to the Soviet rulers, opening their houses (and UK) wide, wide to those Muslims. I admit, I myself was also different in those days, despite of the historical bagage that I am carrying with me as a Serbian and Ortodox Christian. I too, wasn´t born in the views I have today. Therefore, I don´t want to judge too harsh on those (drunken?) English housewifes and advice you not to judge too harsh on Russians either, for obvious sort of reasons. Many terrible mistakes were done in the past (why no Soviet Union, no USA invaded Iran, back to those days? How much trouble would have been saved for everybody, including Israel and Serbia, - BTW Alia Izetbegovic - surprise - surprise - spent considerable time in Iran, got "educated" there, wrote his "Islamic declaration" in the 80es, stating sincerely that Islam and democracy cannot coexsit, - this hasn´t prevented USA to hail him as multiculturalist, democratic genius , freedom fighter and of course a victim of evil Serbs), - I believe that we really have a chance to defeat Islam, the worst possible threat to our civilization ever since it exists, but only if we all stand together. Yea, it is not so easy, I agree. Whle we are posting this, USA that is allegedly fighting against islamic terrorism is opting for an "independant" Kosovo , where hunderds of churches have been destroyed (why this is so seldom on the agenda of JihadWatch?) and for centralized Bosnia, under the Muslim rule. For us, Serbs, Greeks etc. this is not exactly encouraging, it does not generate trust in USA, but only few of us will use insulting expressions to describe Americans (you can expect this rather from French and Germans who you are in such love with). What we need are more Russians participating on htis platform, so please don´t call them drunken housewifes. Let us Serbs and Greeks criticize them, where necessary, without humiliating them, as they are - so to say - our (sometimes difficult to handle, especially when they get "drunk") relatives. It is OK to criticize your own relatives :-) , but it is somehow impolite to criticize other families, or?
sebian girl el greco is ignorant with his comment saying he was happy russia lost in afganistan by his comments he abovusly means he was happy his goverment supported islamic terrorism to defeat russians in afganistan which means at that time he was for islamic terroism but now i guess his against it now today its his country in afganistan fighting the people who the russian where fighting.
i live in london serbian girl i remeber The english where very pro albanian i remeber they all supported the albanians when they invaded kosovo we greek Cypriots in London where against the invasion it was unfair and illegal what usa and uk did to serbia giving kosovo to the albanian muslims is just like when the uk and usa gave North cyprus to the turkish muslims. I think that tony blair must hate orthodox christians or something the way he was talking on tv about how his pro turkish and wants turkey to join EU