SubscribeRussia Pulls Out Of Iran Nuclear Reactor Over Pay
From those champions of nuclear proliferation at the Associated Press:
[AP caption:] The reactor building of Iran’s nuclear power plant is seen, at Bushehr, Iran, 750 miles (1,245 kilometers) south of the capital Tehran, in this Sunday, Feb. 27, 2005, file photo. For Iranians, the fate of their first nuclear reactor is proof why they have to build their own nuclear technology despite U.N. efforts to rein in the program, as the facility is eight years behind schedule and is now, as of March 2007, held up by a bitter dispute with longtime ally Russia.
Russia reportedly exits Iran nuke site
By GEORGE JAHN, Associated Press Writer
VIENNA, Austria - Russia is pulling out its experts from the Iranian nuclear reactor site they were helping build, U.S. and European officials said Tuesday. The move reflected a growing rift between Iran and Russia that could lead to harsher U.N. sanctions on the Islamic republic for its refusal to stop uranium enrichment.
The representatives — a European diplomat and a U.S. official — said a large number of Russian technicians, engineers and other specialists have returned to Moscow in the past week, at about the same time senior Russian and Iranian officials tried unsuccessfully to resolve financial differences over the Bushehr nuclear reactor. They spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because their information was confidential.
“A good number of them have left recently,” said the U.S. official, of the approximately 2,000 Russian workers on site of the nearly completed reactor outside the southern city of Bushehr. The European diplomat, who is accredited to the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency, said a large number had left as recently as last week.
Sergei Novikov, a spokesman for Rosatom, Russia’s Federal Nuclear Power Agency, confirmed that the number of Russian workers at the Bushehr plant had dwindled because of what he said were Iranian payment delays. He would not say how many had left.
The Russian departures are formally linked to a financial dispute with Iran but have a strong political component, linked to international efforts to persuade the Islamic republic to freeze activities linked to uranium enrichment, which can produce both nuclear fuel and the fissile material for nuclear warheads.
Although the reactor is 95 percent completed, Russia announced this month that further work would be delayed because Iran had failed to make monthly payments since January. It said the delay could cause “irreversible” damage to the project.
Because of the delay, Russia also indefinitely postponed delivery of enriched uranium fuel it had promised to provide Iran by this month.
Iran, which denies falling behind in payments, was furious, convinced Russia — which has long blunted a U.S.-led push for the U.N. Security Council sanctions — was now using the claim of financial arrears as a pretext to increase pressure for it to heed the council.
Man, Russia really wants their money.
They don’t mind selling out Western Civilization.
But they insist on getting their price when they do it.
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5 Responses to “Russia Pulls Out Of Iran Nuclear Reactor Over Pay”
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March 20th, 2007 at 1:39 pm
This whole episode seems difficult to believe. Russia is balking due to non-payment and not because their KGB types finally realized the monster they are creating will end eating them? It also seems strange that Iran can’t cough up the $. They’ve got billions to funnel to Hamas to fund its terror wars with Israel but can’t come up w/ the chump change to payoff Putin & his fellow kleptocrats? Something doesn’t add up here. Seems Iran could hit up China for a loan it they were really in a pinch (in exchange for Petro).
March 20th, 2007 at 2:03 pm
From what I understand, Iran is in a very real financial pinch. That is one reason they are buddying up with Cheavs to sell him weapons.
Also with the price of oil falling, their income is not what it used to be and their loans are being looked at a lot closer.
And yes their financing of terrorist is a part of their negative cash flow.
March 20th, 2007 at 2:18 pm
I think an interesting amount of news has been coming out concerning the actual $$$ Iran has and its perceived wealth. An article was released a few weeks back detailing how Iran a) actually imports more oil for domestic purposes , b) for the first time in years, low priced oil available to citizens will now be capped, with a higher rate after said cap is achieved (though currently the rate is $.10 , going to $.30 / per gallon - extremely low according to worldwide comparison, but a 300% increse)
Below is a 4 month old article detailing the troubles for their oil and gas industry, ironically I am still searching for the gas increase article released last week or so.
Considering the players here, I can assume a few things are going on: 1) Russia’s courting of Iran and rejection of tough sanctions from the UN, akin to China - is simply about money and being paid to shut up. I think this is a no brainer, though voids the irrational perception that China, Russia and others are “good hearted people who want to morally obstruct UN sanctions. 2) Bad business deals. I think we have all seen the commercial with a young, small company launching their new website, only to see the daily hits far exceed their capability - ending up in confusion, frustration and worry. Thats exactly what is going on here. Iran has been brokering with China, Russia and other nations as the “be all supplier” of their oil, but as the below article points out - can’t keep up with the demand. Low supply, high demand - we understand that Econ 101 concept well here… 3) Russia has no love for Muslims, namely former USSR countries and states who have murdered thousands of their people, in the name of Allah, though as mentioned - love the $$$. I believe all bets could be off - if Iran doesnt pay and the ROI for Russia diminishes. 4) China can only be exported “x” amount of oil, based on the aformentioned supply problem in Iran - and will throw Iran to the wolves, in lieu of another oil supplier. I understand the “enemy’s enemy is my friend thought” - but bottom line - US $$$ is far more important, in investments and revenue to China than Iran could ever be. But a huge differenc ebetween the two - Russia is currently untapping the world’s largest reserve of crude oil in Eastern Siberia/Vladavostok (sic?) The have a new supply, China doesn’t. Yet. (Chinese engineers cliam to find large reserves just South of the Russia border, preliminary or COmmie BS, perhaps)
Iran’s greatest problem is two fold. The percieve their oil supply as limitless, of which it is not - leading to importing foreign oil for domestic and export trade - while making “perfect deals” to get the US off their back - through other nations. And secondly as mentioned - their greatest export nations are developing their own oil refineries - and uncovering oil supplies.
Iran had a short window of opportunity to capitalize on their oil supply, vs the world demand - in many cases they over sold, hence increased domestic prices and increased imports. Which naturally causes a budget crunch, of which Iran and its people MUST absorb.
If you buy pens at $1, sell them for $2 - then are told the pens from your supplier are now $1.95 - you either eat the cost or increase the selling price to your clients. Considering most Chinese and Russia deals are “locked” as to sold price - somethings got to give.
Iran, like most of the world, is consumed with perception, and devoid of reality… they do not have a limitless supply of oil and wealth, nor can they fund nuclear activities simulataneously - while taking on the Western world and Isreal. IN fact, I beleive the real smart folks in our and other gov’s are well aware of this crunch, and hopefully have learned as far as Middle East issues go - The US cannot tell how Iranian citizens are to behave - but their own pocketbooks can.
http://www.businessweek.com/ma.....=rss_daily
March 21st, 2007 at 8:08 am
SOLAR, NOT NUCLEAR
With its abundance of sunshine, there really is no need for nuclear power in Iran because there is a simple mature technology available that can deliver huge amounts of clean energy without any of the headaches of nuclear power.
I refer to ‘concentrating solar power’ (CSP), the technique of concentrating sunlight using mirrors to create heat, and then using the heat to raise steam and drive turbines and generators, just like a conventional power station. It is possible to store solar heat in melted salts so that electricity generation may continue through the night or on cloudy days. This technology has been generating electricity successfully in California since 1985 and half a million Californians currently get their electricity from this source. CSP plants are now being planned or built in many parts of the world.
CSP works best in hot deserts and it is feasible and economic to transmit solar electricity over very long distances using highly-efficient ‘HVDC’ transmission lines. With transmission losses at about 3% per 1000 km, solar electricity may, for example, be transmitted from North Africa to London with only about 10% loss of power. A large-scale HVDC transmission grid has also been proposed by the wind energy company Airtricity as a means of optimising the use of wind power throughout Europe.
CSP offers substantial benefits to people in North Africa and the Middle East, including desalination of sea water using waste heat from electricity generation - a major benefit in arid regions. In addition, the shaded areas under the solar mirrors can be used for many purposes including horticulture using desalinated sea water. And of course, there would be plentiful supplies of inexpensive, pollution-free electricity and earnings from the export of that electricity to countries with less sunshine.
In the ‘TRANS-CSP’ report commissioned by the German government, it is estimated that CSP electricity, imported from North Africa and the Middle East, could become one of the cheapest sources of electricity in Europe, including the cost of transmission. That report shows in great detail how Europe can meet all its needs for electricity, make deep cuts in CO2 emissions, and phase out nuclear power at the same time.
Further information about CSP may be found at http://www.trec-uk.org.uk and http://www.trecers.net . Copies of the TRANS-CSP report may be downloaded from http://www.trec-uk.org.uk/reports.htm . The many problems associated with nuclear power are summarised at http://www.mng.org.uk/green_house/no_nukes.htm .
March 21st, 2007 at 12:05 pm
Robert -
Great post, I would add wind energy - as being successfully used in Ireland, Holland, etc - is perhaps the cheapest and as efficient as an energy soure.
If only liberals would stop blocking the wind mills , in lieu of some birds…
http://www.planetark.com/daily...../story.htm