Another Iranian Nuclear Scientist making news

Here we go again, there are news reports about Iran and a nuclear physicist who apparently was murdered by a bomb outside his residence. Iran is saying the US and Israeli spy agencies in cohoots with dissident Iranians conspired the bomb attack that killed the nuclear physicist in Tehran.

On Jan. 12, 2010, Massoud Ali Mohammadi, professor of nuclear physics in Tehran University was killed with a remote controlled device which was planted on a motorcycle in front of his house in Qeytariah. The bomb attack left puzzling mix of clues as to why a 50-year old researcher would be targeted with no prominant political voice, no published work with military relevance and declared links to Iran`s nuclear program.

"Since Ali Mohammadi was one of the scientists of physics and nuclear energy, most probably intelligence services and elements of the Mossad and CIA had a hand in his assassination," the Web site of state television quoted Teheran prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabad as saying. The accusation was echoed by the Foreign Ministry. State TV identified the CIA and Mossad has having possible involvement, along with dissident Iranians.

Iran`s Foreign Ministry said it had evidence that a bomb was planted by "Zionist & American" agents. The US State Department has rejected the Iranian`s claim and Israel had no comment.

A spokesman for Iran`s Atomic Energy - Ali Shirzadine, told AP that Ali Mohammadi had no link with the agency. "He was not involved in the country`s nuclear program" he said of the victim. And US experts in the same field said his work had no apparent connection to military uses of nuclear technology.

As I commented in an earlier blog post titled: Iranian Nuke Scientist - Abducted by the US?_12/08/09, this news comes on the heels of another Iranian nuclear scientist, Shahram Amiri, who disappeared in June while on a pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, raising questions about whether he defected and gave the West information on the country's nuclear program. Amiri worked at a university linked to the Revolutionary Guard and his wife said he was researching medical uses of nuclear technology at a university.

Iran's foreign minister accused the US of helping to kidnap him and demanded his return.

In 2007, state TV reported that another nuclear scientist, Ardeshir Hosseinpour, died from gas poisoning. A one-week delay in the reporting of his death prompted speculation about the causes, including that Israel's Mossad spy agency was to blame.

Ali Mohammadi wrote several articles on quantum and theoretical physics in scientific journals. He was a member of some academic associations focusing on experimental science. In 1992, he received the first doctorate in nuclear physics to be awarded in Iran, from Tehran's Sharif University of Technology.

Michio Kaku, a prominent high energy physics professor at City College of New York, said he had never heard of Ali Mohammadi or his work and a list of papers he published showed his study was clearly not related to making nuclear weapons.

"Nuclear physicists interested in bomb-making would have no interest in these papers," Kaku said. "These papers are highly abstract" with no buzzwords that indicate anything threatening, he added.

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said the killing of nuclear scientists cannot thwart the country's scientific and technological progress.

Iran also directed suspicion at the exiled opposition group the People's Mujahedeen Organization of Iran. Tabnak, a conservative Iranian Web site close to the ruling establishment, said the group carried out the attack under direction of Israeli agents.

Sources: http://aljazeera.com/news/articles/34/Iran-accuses-US-Israel-in-nuclear-scientist-murde.html

http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1142079.html

Is this the "smoking gun" to Iran`s nuke program?

Confidential intelligence documents obtained by The Times Online show that Iran is working on testing a key final component of a nuclear bomb. (Click here for full english transalation - The Times Online)

The documents, purportedly from Iran’s most sensitive military nuclear project, describe a four-year plan to test a neutron initiator, the component of a nuclear bomb that triggers an explosion. Foreign intelligence agencies date them to early 2007, four years after Iran was thought to have suspended its weapons program.

The technical document describes the use of a neutron source, uranium deuteride, which have no possible civilian or military use other than in a nuclear weapon. Uranium deuteride is the material used in Pakistan’s bomb, from where Iran obtained its blueprint. The technical document describes the use of a neutron source, uranium deuteride, which independent experts confirm has no possible civilian or military use other than in a nuclear weapon. Uranium deuteride is the material used in Pakistan’s bomb, from where Iran obtained its blueprint.

The documents detail a plan for tests to determine whether the device works — without detonating an explosion leaving traces of uranium detectable by the outside world. If such traces were found, the IAEA and the international world would have surely taken that as irreversible evidence of Iran’s intention to become a nuclear-armed power.

The documents have been seen by intelligence agencies from several Western countries, including Britain. A senior source at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that they had been passed to the UN’s nuclear watchdog.

This revelation coincides with growing international concern about Iran’s nuclear program. Tehran insisting it wants to build a civilian nuclear industry to generate power, but critics suspect that the regime is intent on diverting the technology to build an atomic bomb.
In September, Iran was forced to admit that it was constructing a secret uranium enrichment facility near the city of Qom. President Ahmadinejad then claimed that he wanted to build ten such sites. Over the weekend Manouchehr Mottaki, the Iranian Foreign Minister, said that Iran needed up to 15 nuclear power plants to meet its energy needs, despite the country’s huge oil and gas reserves.

The publication of the documents will increase pressure for tougher UN sanctions against Iran, which are due to be discussed this week. But the latest leaks in a long series of allegations against Iran will also be seized on by hawks in Israel and the US, who support a pre-emptive strike against Iranian nuclear facilities before the country can build its first warhead.

The fall out would be explosive on all fronts, especially if it proves Iran has been actively working on the bomb after 2003, if the four-year plan was followed through. Mark Fitzpatrick,

senior fellow for non-proliferation at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London said, "Is this the smoking gun?" Thats the queston we should all be asking ourselves.

Related Links:
Leaked Memo identifies man at head of Iranian nuclear program
Discovery of UD3 raises fears over Iran`s nuclear intentions

Iranian Nuke Scientist - Abducted by the US?

Iran has accused the US of abducting one of its nuclear scientists who has been missing since June

Shahram Amiri, an Iranian nuclear scientist disappeared in Saudi Arabia while on a Muslim pilgrimage. That fact Mr. Amiri was a nuclear scientist wasn`t disclosed by Tehran at first in their prrviuos announcements.

Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told journalists the Iranians expected the US to return Mr Amiri, and asked the Saudis to co-operate too.
"Based on existing pieces of evidence that we have at our disposal the Americans had a role in Mr Amiri's abduction," Mr Mottaki said. "The Americans did abduct him. Therefore we expect the American government to return him." Mr Amiri worked as a researcher at Tehran's Malek Ashtar University, according to Iran's state-run Press TV.

Earlier Tuesday, foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told Mehr news agency that "Riyadh handed over Amiri to Washington" and that he is now one of 11 Iranians sitting in US jails. Its no wonder the The Saudis and the US were working together. The Saudis would have every step Mr. Amiri made in the kingdom while performing his pilgrimage. This would have greatly aided US intelligence