Excerpts: Iran nuclear enrichment proceeds. Lebanon army's 'self-control'.
Arab League asks Russia not arm Syria June 21, 2012

+++SOURCE: Naharnet (Lebanon) 21 June '12:"Experts: Iran enriching Uranium
at Fast Pace despite Stux", Agence France Presse

SUBJECT: Iran nuclear enrichment proceeds

QUOTE:"Iran's uranium enrichment . . .not crippled by cyber sabotage from
Stuxnet virus"
FULL TEXT:Iran's uranium enrichment effort has picked up speed in the past
three years and has not been crippled by cyber sabotage from the Stuxnet
virus, experts told U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday.

As a result, Iran could produce enough fissile material needed for a nuclear
weapon within four months, if the leadership decided to go ahead, the
experts told the House Armed Services Committee.

Based on the findings of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA),
"it's clear that Iran could produce a nuclear weapon very quickly should it
wish to do so," said Stephen Rademaker of the Bipartisan Policy Center, a
Washington think tank.

Iran has produced 3,345 kilos of uranium enriched to 3.5 percent, according
to the IAEA, which if it was enriched further would provide enough uranium
for at least two atomic bombs, Rademaker said.

If the Iranian leadership made the decision to produce an atomic weapon, "it
would take them 35 to 106 days to actually have the fissile material for a
weapon," he said.

David Albright, president of the Institute for Science and International
Security (ISIS), told the same hearing that "it would take Iran at least
four months in order to have sufficient weapon grade uranium ... for a
nuclear explosive device."

Uranium 235 must be enriched close to 90 percent for use in an atomic bomb.

The director of national intelligence, James Clapper, has said that it was
"technically feasible" Tehran could produce a nuclear weapon in one or two
years.

More than 9,000 Iranian centrifuges are churning out 158 kilograms of 3.5
percent enriched uranium a month, three times the production rate compared
to mid-2009, when the Stuxnet virus struck the program, Rademaker said.

The enrichment rate is "three times the rate of production prior to the
Stuxnet virus, which many people have suggested somehow crippled their
program."

"So Stuxnet may have set them back, but not by very much, at least not
sufficiently," he added.

According to The New York Times, President Barack Obama, and his predecessor
in the White House, George W. Bush, approved the use of the Stuxnet virus to
disrupt Iran's nuclear program, in the first known sustained U.S.
cyber-attack.

Stuxnet -- a complex virus developed jointly with Israel -- sowed confusion
at Iran's Natanz nuclear plant, the Times reported, but the virus later
accidentally spread outside of Iran, appearing in computer systems in other
countries.

Some analysts and former U.S. military officers have touted cyber-attacks as
a more effective weapon against Iran's nuclear ambitions than bombing raids,
which they say would carry big risks without causing permanent damage to the
program.

U.S. intelligence agencies believe Iran's leadership has not yet decided to
pursue nuclear weapons, even as the regime presses ahead with uranium
enrichment and other activities that could provide the capability to create
an atomic arsenal.

"We really don't know if they're going to decide to build a nuclear weapon,
but the indications are at least that they're on a trajectory to do so,"
Albright said.

If Iran decided to start producing weapons-grade uranium, either the U.N.
nuclear watchdog or U.S. intelligence likely would detect the move within
one to three weeks, he added.

Wednesday's congressional hearing came after two days of tense talks between
world powers and Iran in Moscow that failed to produce a breakthrough over
Tehran's disputed nuclear program.

Iran remains opposed to any halt of its sensitive uranium enrichment work
while the United States and five other major powers are not ready to lift
sanctions on Tehran.

Former U.S. senator Chuck Robb, who also testified at the House hearing,
said diplomacy could only succeed if Iran believed there was a genuine
threat of military force if they failed to compromise.

Robb said "it is a credible threat of force when pursued together with
diplomacy and sanctions that proves the best hope for peace

+++SOURCE" Naharnet (Lebanon) 21 June '12:"(Defense Minister) Ghosn Says
Army Exercising Self Control, Warns Against Targeting it",

SUBJECT: Lebanon army's 'self-control'

QUOTE:"Ghosn: 'It is not acceptable to confront the army or target its
prestige, this matter is indisputable and settlled' "
FULL TEXT:Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn stressed on Thursday[21 June] that
the army is exercising self-control in dealing with all the security
incidents across the country.

“It is not acceptable to confront the army or target its prestige, this
matter is indisputable and settled,” Ghosn told As Safir newspaper.

Tension escalated recently between the residents of Nahr al-Bared and Ain
el-Hilweh refugee camps and the army.

The clashes left three Palestinians killed, one in Ain al-Hilweh and two in
Nahr al-Bared.

Ghosn pointed out that Palestinian factions are committed to calm, refusing
to put the camps in confrontation with the army.

However, the defense minister warned that the situation requires the highest
level of vigilance and caution.

He noted that the country is passing through an “unbalanced” phase that is
open to all options.

Ghosn urged all sides to respect the army as it’s the only authority capable
of maintaining the security of the nation and the citizens without any
discrimination.

Palestinian sources told al-Mustaqbal newspaper that top Palestinian leader
Azzam al-Ahmed, member of Fatah’s Central Committee, arrived on Wednesday[20
June] overnight in Beirut.

Ahmed held a meeting with General Security Chief, Brigadier General Abbas
Ibrahim.

According to the sources Ahmed’s visit is aimed at addressing the latest
developments in the Palestinian refugee camps.

He expressed a fear that the unrest might renew in the absence of serious
solutions to resolve the crisis.

Al-Mustaqbal daily reported that Ahmed will hold talks with several Lebanese
officials on Thursday[21 June].

+++SOURCE: Naharnet (Lebanon) 21 June '12;"Arab League Calls on Russia to
Stop Giving Syria Weapons", Agence France Presse

SUBJECT: Arab League asks Russia not arm Syria

QUOTE:Arab League: "Russia must stop providing military supplies to Syria"
FULL TEXT:Russia must stop providing military supplies to Syria, Arab
League's deputy secretary general Ahmed Bin Hilli said in an interview with
the Interfax news agency on Thursday[21 June].

"Any assistance to violence must be ceased because when you supply military
equipment, you help kill people. This must stop," he was quoted as saying in
comments translated into Russian.

He also called for the mandate of U.N.-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan to be
revamped, saying that a new mechanism was needed to enforce the plan.

"To make this plan work, we need to find a new mechanism and the mandate of
the special envoy must be reassessed, so we can be sure that all the sides
are observing the plan," he said.

He backed Iran joining the Syria Contact Group meeting expected to be held
in Geneva on June 30, while saying that Tehran's participation was still at
the discussion stage.

"In my view, all the players taking part in the Syrian crisis must be part
of this contact group," he was quoted as saying in answer to a question
about Iran's participation.

"The main task at the moment is agreeing the agenda of the first meeting.
Then a decision will be taken on who will take part in this conference," he
added
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Sue Lerner - Associate, IMRA