MidnightWatcher – Prophecy in Motion

By Nicholas Vinocur and Fredrik Dahl – “(Reuters) – An exiled Iranian opposition group said on Saturday that Iran has some 60 scientists and engineers involved in a concerted and expanding programme to develop nuclear weapons under defence ministry auspices.

However, diplomats say the National Council of Resistance of Iran has had a spotty record with allegations about Iran’s nuclear work since exposing a secret uranium enrichment plant at Natanz in 2002. A top U.S. nuclear expert said the NCRI report, like previous ones, should be treated with great scepticism.

Its latest report, whose details could not be verified, appeared timed to encourage a tougher line at talks with Iran the U.N. nuclear watchdog will have in Vienna on Monday and Tuesday and six world powers will hold in Baghdad on May 23.

But it clashed with the assessment of U.S. and Israeli intelligence officials that Iran has not decided whether to ‘weaponise’ its enrichment programme. Tehran says it is refining uranium solely for peaceful energy.

In the six-page report shown to Reuters, the Paris-based NCRI cited sources in Iran’s government and military as saying some 60 scientists were pursuing bomb-relevant research in 11 agencies operating clandestinely under defence ministry control.

‘Information … shows that the clerical regime has expanded the organisation responsible for nuclear weapons development,’ the report said. ‘This finding reveals a complete and elaborate, and highly … secret research structure and a network for procurement of the required parts and equipment.'” Read more.

Iran boasts U.S. has abandoned Israel – “Iranian outlets have been claiming recently the United States has been forced to bow before Iran on its nuclear program, demonstrating the West’s abandonment of Israel and paving the way for the Islamic regime to annihilate the Jewish state. While restating that Iran will demand ever more in the upcoming second round of talks with the 5+1 nations to be held this month in Baghdad, the Iranian media are now boasting that Israel has been abandoned by its allies and is in a dire bind.” Read more.