Revolutionary Guard praises idea of nuke testing

Article titled 'The Day after the First Iranian Nuclear Test - a Normal Day' raises alarms in Western intelligence circles

Associated Press|Published: 06.09.11 , 13:28

An article praising the idea of Iran testing a nuclear bomb on a Revolutionary Guard website is raising alarms in western intelligence circles, which interpret it as evidence of strong backing in the Islamic Republic for such a move.

Entitled "The Day After the First Iranian Nuclear Test - a Normal Day," the article coincides with other public or suspected activities that the United States and its allies see as indications that Tehran wants to possess atomic arms.

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"The day after the first Iranian nuclear test for us Iranians will be an ordinary day, but in the eyes of many of us, it will have a new shine, from the power and dignity of the nation," says the article published on the Gerdab site run by the Revolutionary Guard.

From the website - The day after nuclear tests

Iran has been producing low-enriched uranium for years and began higher enrichment in February 2010, asserting it needs the higher grade material to produce fuel for a Tehran reactor that makes medical radioisotopes needed for cancer patients.

David Albright, whose Institute for Science and International Security tracks suspected proliferators, said it was unrealistic for Tehran to accelerate production of 20-percent uranium to the degree stated by Abbasi for that one research reactor.

Reflection of internal debate

"It doesn't make any sense for civil research purposes," he said. "They are not going to build for or five research reactors."

The article on the website - along with Wednesday's announcement on enrichment and the IAEA suspicions about secret experiments - strengthens concerns that "they are moving toward nuclear weapons," he said.

The article ends with an Arabic quote from the Quaran: "And prepare against them whatever you are able of power and of steeds of war by which you may terrify the enemy of Allah and your enemy."

The official said that the article was first posted in April. The Farsi version was still on the website late Wednesday.

Albright speculated that its publication reflected that at least some powerful Revolutionary Guard factions supported such a test, even if the article did not express the position of the Iranian leadership as a whole.

"This could be reflecting an internal debate," he said.