This Won't End Well

Iran Begins Fueling First Nuclear Reactor

BUSHEHR, Iran -- Iranian and Russian engineers began loading fuel Saturday into Iran's first nuclear power plant, which Moscow has promised to safeguard to prevent material at the site from being used in any potential weapons production.

Yeah, right. The Russians have a long history of creating "client states" in order to put a thumb in the eye of the West. Now they have created a nuclear client state in the Middle East; one that is apocalyptic in its world view and may well be the most dangerous loose cannon in a region filled with loose cannons. All the while, they freely admit that Iran is close to developing nuclear weapons:

July 12 (Reuters) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Monday that Iran was moving closer to having the potential to create nuclear weapons.

"Iran is moving closer to possessing the potential which in principle could be used for the creation of nuclear weapons," Medvedev told a meeting of ambassadors in Moscow. (Reporting by Denis Dyomkin, writing by Guy Faulconbridge, editing by Dmitry Solovyov)

Amidst all of this chilling news, the administration has assured us all there is no real reason for worry:

Aug. 20, 2010 12:28 PM ET The Obama administration has persuaded Israel that it would take roughly a year — and perhaps longer — for Iran to complete what one senior official called a “dash” for a nuclear weapon. Administration officials said they believe the assessment has dimmed the prospect that Israel would pre-emptively strike against the country’s nuclear facilities.

Simultaneously, "peaceful Iran" announced the testing of a new class of missile:

Ahmad Vahidi’s announcement comes a day before Iran is scheduled to launch its Russian-built first nuclear power plant in the southern port city of Bushehr.

Television images showed the sand coloured Qiam (Rising) blasting into the air from a desert terrain, amid chants of “Allahu Akbar” (God is greatest).

The words “Ya Mahdi” were written on the side of the missile, referring to Imam Mahdi, one of the 12 imams of Shiite Islam, who disappeared as a boy and whom the faithful believe will return one day to bring redemption to mankind.

Mr Vahidi, who was speaking during Friday prayers in Tehran, did not say when the launch took place nor did he disclose the precise range of the missile.

“The missile has new technical aspects and has a unique tactical capacity,” he said on state television, adding that the device was of a “new class.”

“Since the surface-to-surface missile has no wings, it has lot of tactical power, which also reduces the chances of it being intercepted,” he said.

What could possibly go wrong?