Friends like these (III): Taiwan selling nuke components to Iran?

Posted By Thomas E. Ricks Monday, December 14, 2009 - 5:36 PM Share

I thought the Taiwanese were supposed to be on our side. Helping Tehran with its nuke program doesn't fall under that category. But be careful: This comes from a British newspaper, so file it under "interesting if true."

Photo: Chenines/Flickr

EXPLORE:EAST ASIA, MIDDLE EAST, IRAN, NUKES

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ADMIRAL

6:32 PM ET

December 14, 2009

You must be joking

"This comes from a British newspaper, so file it under "interesting if true.""

Yea, and the Establishment party propaganda organs WP and NYT's print the truth? You must be joking Mr. Ricks. The WP and NYT are staffed with yellow belly cowards and whores that care more about their social status with Establishment Party members than journalism. Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones.

TOM RICKS

7:23 PM ET

December 14, 2009

Going by experience

In my experience of the last 20 years, the British newspapers play the role that TV news does in our society. They are much more likely to carry rumors than are our major newspapers. This isn't an ideological hit, just an observation that comes from often working side-by-side with British papers and seeing how they handle events.

You might want to read "Scoop," by Evelyn Waugh.

Best,
Tom

ADMIRAL

9:29 PM ET

December 14, 2009

"Handle"

I appreciate that you openly confess the fact that news is "Handled" (Spun) vs reported.

JPWREL

12:19 AM ET

December 15, 2009

Tom's right

Actually, I think Tom Ricks is right on the money with his remarks. My decades long experience reading the British press has left me with the impression that while their writing is vastly more engaging than what is found in the American press it is also considerably less reliable. Much of the British press other than the ‘Times’ and The Economist’ resembles in tone and ideological bias the monotonous gibberish of FOX News or MSNBC.

JSINAIKO

12:56 AM ET

December 15, 2009

UK vs. US

Having lived there for years I concur. Plus - and I like this - they male no bones about political affiliation. The Telegraph is right wing middle class and totally Tory, The Times is The Establishment and also pretty Tory, the Guardian is lefty and Labor, The Independent is slightly less left and also Labor, and the tabloid red tops are mainly Tory - the Daily Mail being the most rabid, and The Mirror slanting most toward Labor. The News Of The World is Murdoch and doesn't care as long as it is lurid, and The Sun - the biggest selling rag on the island is also Murdoch and goes back and forth on the whims of Rupert.

Newspapers are NOT dying their either - folks still read.

ADMIRAL

3:10 AM ET

December 15, 2009

No defense

I was not defending the English press by any means. My point is that the NYT and WP are just as bad if not worse. National Propaganda Radio is the worst of all. The staff at NPR are bottom feeder scum.

WALKING WOUNDED

7:35 PM ET

December 14, 2009

it's more peculiar than funny...

but at least you're not bitter or cynical about it.

It's pretty broadly accepted that Mushy's Pakistan traded used nuke gear to Tehran, and backed muj that were violently anti-Saudi, while taking public and private money from the royals. In the last century the US scattered 'peaceful' research reactors from Tehran to the Caribbean- fueled with HEU. Peculiar stuff happens.

The idea that Taiwan (where the US occasionally loses warhead guidance systems by mistake) is a center for proliferation tech seem destabilizing. More so than the 'shocking news' that an advanced U-separation program might (still) be associated with a boys healthy curiosity about how to use the stuff.

Even if it's not true, it's interesting if someone has launched a rumor with enough legs to be investigated. I bet the Chinese are chasing it down, if they aren't the first whisperer.

BILL KELLER

8:18 PM ET

December 14, 2009

Murdoch's invisible hand maybe....

if you'd like to be a hit in the Forbidden City why not drop a dime on the errant province? Split its partner away.

WALKING WOUNDED

10:57 PM ET

December 14, 2009

The usual suspects,

with so many possible variations and motivations.

Prince Humperdink found that international relationships can be high maintenance, and exhausting. Or as Vizini the Sicilian would say, "I haven't even begun!"

CMEYERGO

8:40 PM ET

December 14, 2009

Taiwan is just following the NPT

I have found that reporters write dozens of articles about Iran and the nuclear NPT, but few have bothered to read the five page document. It requires all signatories to help others with the peaceful development of nuclear energy. It also requires nuclear powers, like the USA, to scrap their nuclear weapons. Instead, the nuclear powers, led by the USA, abuse it to keep weapons out of other nations, hence the "security council" demands on Iran, something that would never pass in the UN general assembly. FYI, there are 13 other nations that enrich uranium.

According to the UN weapons inspectors and the CIA, there is no evidence that Iraq is building a nuclear weapon. The NeoCons and their front man Obama demand that Iran "prove" it is not building a bomb, which it can't if it isn't.

And for readers who depend on propaganda rags like the WashPost, Iran was not required to disclose the construction of a new nuclear plant until six months before operations begin. The fact they kept this secret and it is defended by military units is not surprising since Israel and the USA has often violated international law by threatening to attack Iran.

A typical response to this by many supposedly educated Americans is to accuse those who post the truth of having an unpatriotic affection for "Sand Nxxxxs".

SCHMEDLAP

9:55 PM ET

December 14, 2009

Tom, Who says they're

Tom,

Who says they're "helping"? See an earlier story...

"Another important source of information was the straw companies established by Western intelligence bodies. Through these companies, they managed to penetrate the Iranian nuclear program, supplying it with defective equipment and giving it difficulties operating its uranium enrichment program at Natanz. According to various reports, the centrifuges with which Iran enriches uranium are collapsing and exploding. This kind of activity is called 'poisoning the system.'"

TOM RICKS

1:38 AM ET

December 15, 2009

I hope so

That sort of activity is something that makes me happy to pay my tax dollars.

JSINAIKO

8:43 PM ET

December 15, 2009

Somehow...

I doubt the Iranians are that dumb. They are pretty well schooled in the trade-craft of clandestine operations, including the old defective component scam.

If they weren't hip to it before the story broke, they are now.

TYRTAIOS

5:34 AM ET

December 15, 2009

Much About Nothing

It's pretty much accepted that Taiwan has experimented with plutonium production - who hasn't? But the fact is, any reports, such as "recent intelligence reports," as a lead in, in an English paper doesn't qualify in any publication -period!

Taiwan knows any such activity would isolate it from the U.S. and bring their Island into direct conflict with China by indicating to Beijing they also might be pursuing a clandestine nuclear program - which they ain't!

What conspiracy types should look into is a possible list of Russian nuclear scientists, working for Tehran, that may have been presented to Moscow recently by Israel, whom the Russians had been unaware of - but of course that's just a rumor, not based on "any intelligence reports!" :)

WALKING WOUNDED

2:48 AM ET

December 16, 2009

A rogue general staff or shadow KMT gov't

taking Taiwan nuclear does seem like the point of departure from reality for a Tom Clancy plot line.

But experimentation with tweaking a reactor for Pu production kinda supports my thesis that every staff that's in the jet and shaped charge age has asked 'if we could, how would we...'

Hypothetical Q: if China actually believed (or found it useful to accuse) Taiwan of WMD program related activities and intent, how would Taiwan's gov't prove the negative?

Tyrtaios, if the nuclear Israelis want to leak their list of atom-savvy Russians selling off-book services to Iran, I presume they have the channels to do so, as in the past. Have you seen anything on this rumint, in the public press or blogosphere?

I often feel that the motivation of the intel 'leaker', and the timing, may swing more weight than the accuracy of the 'facts'. Present company excepted. ;-)

TYRTAIOS

5:38 AM ET

December 16, 2009

Maybe Yes - Maybe No?

Russian President Medvedev says that he's been assured by Netanyahu that Israel isn't planning military strikes on any Iranian nuclear facilities. Israel denies this, but Israel worries about a return of Russian mischief in the ME. Something that's been absent for awhile.

As for your question, you could ask me back channel you know. However, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu made several trips to Moscow awhile back - who knows what went on - least of all a former masterless samurai seeking to redeem himself from a ronin career.

Anyway, no matter. We’ll show those spastic missile building, carpet weaving, pistachio eating Persians they can’t dig their way out of this one. We'll drop a couple of our B-61 Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrators on'em. A few of those bad oscars ought to bring the price of oil back-up where it belongs - 10 bucks a gallon, and give our Fifth Fleet something to do for awhile instead of drilling holes in the water running man overboard drills.

Maybe we'll find a peacful negotiated settlement and we'll be able to sing along with Martha and the Vandellas: "It's just an invitation across the nation, a chance for folks to meet. There'll be laughing, singing, music swinging, they'll be dancing in the street.

MIKE ROCHEFORT

9:54 AM ET

December 16, 2009

Journalists

If journalists around the world were allowed to investigate, interview and dig up the truth then we would all be shocked to learn what is really going on in the world while we are being spoon fed information that the powers that be want us to hear. casino en ligne

GREG879

11:54 AM ET

December 24, 2009

i don't mind

It is logical that the journalist may not otherwise be any Devoille seait panic on board
referencement

MICHAELTURTON

11:40 PM ET

December 18, 2009

WorldNetDaily Piece

++++++++++++++
Taipei smugglers facilitate Iran nukes; Key pieces of equipment purchased from Europe, shipped to Tehran – WorldNetDaily.com, 12-15-09

Taiwan and London – British MI6 intelligence agency investigators have discovered Iran has set up a new smuggling network in Taiwan to obtain specialized equipment used for the production of nuclear weapons, according to a report from Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin.

Insiders report Iran has established companies to buy the equipment on the world markets and then smuggle it into Tehran.

The purchases have involved pressure transducers, which are used to produce weapons-grade uranium, and Secret Intelligence Service officers have established that nuclear scientists from Tehran have held meetings in Taiwan's capital, Taipei, to buy the units.

The equipment is stored by the companies in a high-security area on the island.

The companies are fronted by local Chinese businessmen, and MI6 officers believe some of them have worked in China's own nuclear industry before moving to Taiwan. The intelligence officers have also traced bank accounts held by the businessmen to banks in the Cayman Islands.
+++++++++++++

As you can see, the WorldNUTDaily piece says that Taiwan is merely a conduit for Chinese activity, if I've read the "Chinese businessmen" remarks correctly.

Michael

GEMMBA

5:16 AM ET

January 7, 2010

No objection

As one said, I was not defending the English press by any means.
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