How do you say Chernobyl in Farsi ?

If the neocons do get their way, and attack Iran soon, we all have something to look forward to:

The neo-conservatives for their part are plugging a new "shock and awe" in a slightly watered down version - the destruction of no less than 1,200 Iranian military/nuclear targets in a mere three days (no attacks on civilian infrastructure are mentioned).

The to-be-destroyed list certainly includes the Russian-built Bushehr nuclear power plant; the uranium enrichment plant in Natanz; a heavy-water and radioisotope plant in Arak; the nuclear fuel unit in Ardekan; the uranium conversion and nuclear technology center in Isfahan; the Tehran Nuclear Research Center; the Tehran molybdenum, iodine and xenon radioisotope production plant; and the Tehran Jabr Ibn Hayan Multipurpose Laboratories. No one of course is talking about "collateral damage", or the fact that hundreds of Russian experts may be obliterated in Bushehr (how about that as a declaration of war?), or the fact that hundreds of thousands of civilian residents of fabled Isfahan may become victims of radiation provoked by US mini-nukes.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/middle_east/ii07ak05.html

Russia backs Iran nuclear rights

Russia's President Vladimir Putin has offered qualified support for Iran's nuclear programme on a visit to Tehran.

Mr Putin told journalists that "peaceful nuclear activities must be allowed" and cautioned against using force to resolve the dispute over Iran.

But he was evasive when asked whether the Bushehr nuclear plant Russia is building would be finished on time or if Moscow would supply nuclear fuel.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7046258.stm


As for Russian shipments of fuel there ?

17 December 2007

Russia ships nuclear fuel to Iran

Russia has delivered its first shipment of nuclear fuel to a reactor it is helping to build at Bushehr in Iran.

The two sides reached agreement last week on a schedule to finish building the plant after years of delays.

The UN has demanded that Iran halt uranium enrichment but has approved the Russian nuclear fuel deliveries.

US President George W Bush supported the move, but said it proved "the Iranians do not need to learn how to enrich" uranium for themselves.

'Threat to peace'

The Russian company building the Bushehr plant, Atomstroiexport, said the delivery of the enriched uranium fuel began on Sunday.

The head of Iran's atomic energy agency, Gholam Reza Aghazadeh, later confirmed that the first delivery had arrived, according to Iran's state-run Irna news agency.

There are two pressurised water reactors at the Bushehr site, one of which is reportedly near completion and likely to be the first major Iranian reactor to begin generating electricity, possibly by mid-2008.

Russian officials have previously said the plant could be operational within six months of fuel being delivered.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7147463.stm


Hitting an operational nuclear reactor ? How do you say Chernobyl in Farsi ? That risks contaminating a vast area with radioactivity, and that should drive gas prices to about double what they are right now as a result. Bushehr is right on the Persian Gulf, and guess where all that oil has to go through ?

Bushehr (Bushir), a major city and one of Iran's chief ports, is located 400 kilometers south of Tehran, in south-eastern Iran on the Persian Gulf.

Check out where it is on this map :

http://www.maplandia.com/iran/bushehr


That plant's going to be operational very soon. Those fuel rods being shipped is a key indicator that it's almost online and it's reactor is ready to be used. There would be no need to ship them there so soon, otherwise.

Once Bushehr IS operational - then hitting it is going to cause one HELL of a mess.