U.S. Nuclear Weapons Expert Debunks Iran Weapons Fraud
November 20th, 2011 âĒ 9:28 AM
Clinton Bastin, a nuclear chemical engineer and former head of the DOE program on nuclear materials and reprocessing, debunked the Iran nuclear weapons fraud in a 30-minute telephone interview for LPAC yesterday.
The Iran nuclear program is a continuation of its civilian nuclear development program, under way since 1970. Bastin said that most public statements by so-called nuclear experts are based on incompetence. There is vast underestimation of the difficulty of moving from 20 percent enriched uranium in gaseous form, which is the product of centrifuging, to an explosive weapon requiring greater than 90 percent enrichment.
Bastin explained that the IAEA investigators have little knowledge of the construction of nuclear weapons. Some of them are nuclear engineers, but understand very little about weapons. Further, he said, the present IAEA head listens to the know-nothings; El-Baradei, in contrast had a better understanding of reality, and the geopolitical dangers. The vast majority of so-called policy experts in Washington, Bastin said, are also incompetent, giving as a prime example David Albright.
Bastin's evaluation is based on his 40 years of experience at the Atomic Energy Commission, Department of Energy, and as head of the union of government employees at the DOE. He has been a leading figure in nuclear non-proliferation circles for decades.
Bastin said that it is virtually impossible that the small amount of enriched material produced by Iran could be diverted to weapons production with present levels of inspection protocols. However, even if by some miracle enough material to fabricate one bomb were diverted, the difficulties and dangers of converting gaseous uranium to the metallic form required for explosives are enormous. Accidental "criticality events," in which all the material is exploded, and nearby personnel lost have been common in all nation's fabrication programs.
However, the political consequences of an Iranian attempt to build a bomb are even more dangerous. Ulimately, Bastin said, it would be suicide for Iran to attempt a bomb construction. They know it, and that is the most compelling reason, beyond all technical considerations, that he is convinced there is no bomb program, but only a propaganda campaign sometimes aided by massive bureaucratic incompetence.
Bastin has maintained contact with the Israeli government on this question, and recently issued an open letter to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu warning of the danger of a military attack on a nonexistent Iranian bomb program.
http://www.larouchepac.com/node/20400
November 20th, 2011 âĒ 9:28 AM
Clinton Bastin, a nuclear chemical engineer and former head of the DOE program on nuclear materials and reprocessing, debunked the Iran nuclear weapons fraud in a 30-minute telephone interview for LPAC yesterday.
The Iran nuclear program is a continuation of its civilian nuclear development program, under way since 1970. Bastin said that most public statements by so-called nuclear experts are based on incompetence. There is vast underestimation of the difficulty of moving from 20 percent enriched uranium in gaseous form, which is the product of centrifuging, to an explosive weapon requiring greater than 90 percent enrichment.
Bastin explained that the IAEA investigators have little knowledge of the construction of nuclear weapons. Some of them are nuclear engineers, but understand very little about weapons. Further, he said, the present IAEA head listens to the know-nothings; El-Baradei, in contrast had a better understanding of reality, and the geopolitical dangers. The vast majority of so-called policy experts in Washington, Bastin said, are also incompetent, giving as a prime example David Albright.
Bastin's evaluation is based on his 40 years of experience at the Atomic Energy Commission, Department of Energy, and as head of the union of government employees at the DOE. He has been a leading figure in nuclear non-proliferation circles for decades.
Bastin said that it is virtually impossible that the small amount of enriched material produced by Iran could be diverted to weapons production with present levels of inspection protocols. However, even if by some miracle enough material to fabricate one bomb were diverted, the difficulties and dangers of converting gaseous uranium to the metallic form required for explosives are enormous. Accidental "criticality events," in which all the material is exploded, and nearby personnel lost have been common in all nation's fabrication programs.
However, the political consequences of an Iranian attempt to build a bomb are even more dangerous. Ulimately, Bastin said, it would be suicide for Iran to attempt a bomb construction. They know it, and that is the most compelling reason, beyond all technical considerations, that he is convinced there is no bomb program, but only a propaganda campaign sometimes aided by massive bureaucratic incompetence.
Bastin has maintained contact with the Israeli government on this question, and recently issued an open letter to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu warning of the danger of a military attack on a nonexistent Iranian bomb program.
http://www.larouchepac.com/node/20400
