Iran attempting to clean up suspected nuclear site at Parchin

[bananas]

Source: CNN

The intelligence community believes Iran has been attempting to clean up the suspected nuclear site at Parchin prior to the arrival of international inspectors based on new satellite imagery, a senior intelligence official told CNN on Wednesday.

The commercial imagery shows that Iran has moved heavy construction equipment to the area. But the senior intelligence official, who is familiar with the imagery in question, said the U.S. is confident that such sanitization efforts cannot succeed because radioactive materials, if present, are extremely difficult to conceal.

"The (International Atomic Energy Agency) is familiar with sanitization efforts and the international community has confidence in the IAEA's technical expertise," the official said.

<snip>

Coons has said he still has concerns about the agreement and is reviewing the deal. Murphy announced in a floor speech on Wednesday that he supports the deal, while Shaheen hasn't yet revealed her position.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/05/politics/iran-nuclear-site-parchin/

[bananas]

1. Iran Already Sanitizing Nuclear Site, Intel Warns

http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-08-05/iran-already-sanitizing-parchin-nuclear-site-intel-warns

Iran Already Sanitizing Nuclear Site, Intel Warns
225 Aug 5, 2015 1:37 PM EDT
By Josh Rogin & Eli Lake

The U.S. intelligence community has informed Congress of evidence that Iran was sanitizing its suspected nuclear military site at Parchin, in broad daylight, days after agreeing to a nuclear deal with world powers.

For senior lawmakers in both parties, the evidence calls into question Iran’s intention to fully account for the possible military dimensions of its current and past nuclear development. The International Atomic Energy Agency and Iran have a side agreement meant to resolve past suspicions about the Parchin site, and lawmakers' concerns about it has already become a flashpoint because they do not have access to its text.

Intelligence officials and lawmakers who have seen the new evidence, which is still classified, told us that satellite imagery picked up by U.S. government assets in mid- and late July showed that Iran had moved bulldozers and other heavy machinery to the Parchin site and that the U.S. intelligence community concluded with high confidence that the Iranian government was working to clean up the site ahead of planned inspections by the IAEA.

The intelligence community shared its findings with lawmakers and some Congressional staff late last week, four people who have seen the evidence told us. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence briefed lawmakers about the evidence Monday, three U.S. senators said.

<snip>

[Fred Sanders]

2. So...is this a bad thing, a good thing or the usual propaganda thing? Only Israel and the insane GOP opposed.

[bananas]

3. It's a bad thing, but not a deal killer. nt