Iran is years away from nuke?

Out of curiosity :

Does SA produce and enrich its own fuel? Or is it reliant on a foreign country for anything in the nuclear process?

SA has dismantled it's bombs (in 1994 I believe). How long would it take to "go nuclear" again? Cant seem to find any info on this. Japan could go nuclear within a year apparently (If they so choose) and Germany within a couple (If they so choose). But I cant find anything on SA.
 
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JStrike said:
Out of curiosity :

Does SA produce and enrich its own fuel? Or is it reliant on a foreign country for anything in the nuclear process?

SA has dismantled it's bombs (in 1994 I believe). How long would it take to "go nuclear" again? Cant seem to find any info on this. Japan could go nuclear within a year apparently (If they so choose) and Germany within a couple (If they so choose). But I cant find anything on SA.
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SA used to produce its own reactor fuel (Slightly Enriched Uranium) and weapons grade material (Highly Enriched Uranium) at the Valindaba and Pelindaba facilities west of Pretoria. The process was locally developed (Helikon Vortex) but compared to other methods (gasseous diffusion) it was hopelessy inefficient. All our current SEU for use in Koeberg is bought from France IIRC. The massive capital expenditure required in building an isotope separation plant makes it unworthwhile if only SEU is to be produced.

The big problem in building a nuclear weapon is no longer that of the construction of the bomb, but that of obtaining either HEU or Plutonium 239. It is this process that takes years before sufficient material is available to actually produce a functioning bomb.

SA produced large amounts of HEU while operating the plant at Pelindaba, but not all of it was used to construct the 6 weapons. Theoretically there should still be some HEU left somewhere, except if it was confiscated as part of the adherence to the NPT. All 6 the weapons were dismantled in 1990.
 
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Where do u learn this stuff? Very interesting!
 
From the People that brought you "IRAQ has Wepons of Mass Distruction" , now presents "Iran, the next best thing"
 
Craig ... read this article ... is rather interesting commentry concerning Iran and their motives and the reason why they will actually do what they say )(nuke Isreal etc...) unlike other countries who just posture.

http://www.city-journal.org/html/16_2_iran.html

Perhaps a pre-emptive nuclear strike under discussion by Bush and his advisors as rumored by the American press on Tehran is not so far fetched of an idea after all.
 
I think the Us / UN will strike first and hope they do as i really think Iran will make good on their threats.
 
Thanks Tibby interesting article :

"A quarter-century ago, there was a minor British pop hit called “Ayatollah, Don’t Khomeini Closer.” If you’re a U.S. diplomat or a British novelist, a Croat Christian or an Argentine Jew, he’s already come way too close. How much closer do you want him to get? "

:(:(:(:(
 
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