Iran defies U.N, announces building of 10 nuclear facilities

Iran has authorized the construction of 10 Uranium enrichment plants its state news agency announced Sunday. The move comes two days after the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. nuclear watchdog, passed a resolution demanding that Iran stop construction on a previously secret nuclear facility at Qom.
The agency also repeated calls for Iran to stop its uranium enrichment program. The IAEA said it would not comment on Sunday's announcement. But in Washington, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs called the announcement "another example of Iran choosing to isolate itself." Enriched Uranium can be used to fuel power plants -- or, if enriched to a much higher concentration, can be used to make a nuclear bomb. Iran says it has a right to produce nuclear fuel under the 1968 Non-Proliferation Treaty, which bars member states from pursuing nuclear weapons and requires international inspectors to have access to nuclear facilities. "We have friendly and kind relations with the whole world, but we will not allow even the slightest denial of Iran's rights," IRNA quoted Iranian President Mahmoud_Ahmadinejad as telling government ministers. And Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani criticized the IAEA resolution Sunday, warning that continued international pressure could force Iran "to seek another path which will seriously change our cooperation with the agency," IRNA reported. Iran says the goal of the plants authorized Sunday would be to produce enough enriched Uranium to yield about 20,000 megawatts of electricity a year. Iran currently has one nuclear power plant, which has yet to begin full operation, and announced plans in 2007 to build 19 more. In addition, Iran has so far refused to sign an agreement with France, Russia and the United States to send its uranium stocks abroad for enrichment in exchange for fuel for a research reactor that produces radioisotopes used for cancer treatment.

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