French PM visits Moscow as Iranian crisis worsens

[bemildred]

Moscow, Feb. 13 (AP): French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, was set to arrive in the Russian capital on Monday for talks dominated by Moscow's overtures to Hamas and the Iranian nuclear crisis as Tehran raised the ante by resuming uranium enrichment and canceling talks with Moscow.

The United States and the European Union have backed Moscow's proposal to enrich uranium for Iran on its soil as a way to allay concerns about Iran potentially producing weapons-grade nuclear material, but Tehran announced on Monday that talks on the issue which were to take place in Moscow on Thursday had been postponed indefinitely.

Also Monday, diplomats in Vienna said that Iran has started small-scale enrichment of uranium _ a process that can produce fuel for nuclear reactors or bombs.

``The Iranians are playing 'catch me if you can' game,'' said Fyodor Lukyanov, the Editor of Russia in Global Affairs foreign policy magazine. ``They believe that the Americans won't risk to use a military option.''

The Hindu

[Clara T]

1. Iran holds 125.8 billion barrels of proven oil reserves 10% of world's

The vast majority of Iran's crude oil reserves are located in giant onshore fields in the southwestern Khuzestan region near the Iraqi border and the Persian Gulf. Iran has 32 producing oil fields, of which 25 are onshore and 7 offshore. Major onshore fields include the following: Ahwaz-Asmari (700,000 bbl/d); Bangestan (around 245,000 bbl/d current production, with plans to increase to 550,000 bbl/d), Marun (520,000 bbl/d), Gachsaran (560,000 bbl/d), Agha Jari (200,000 bbl/d), Karanj-Parsi (200,000 bbl/d); Rag-e-Safid (180,000 bbl/d); Bibi Hakimeh (130,000 bbl/d), and Pazanan (70,000 bbl/d). Major offshore fields include: Dorood (130,000 bbl/d); Salman (130,000 bbl/d); Abuzar (125,000 bbl/d); Sirri A&E (95,000 bbl/d); and Soroush/Nowruz (60,000 bbl/d).

According to the Oil and Gas Journal (1/1/04), Iran holds 125.8 billion barrels of proven oil reserves, roughly 10% of the world's total, up from 90 billion barrels in 2003. In October 1999, Iran announced that it had made its biggest oil discovery in 30 years, a giant onshore field called Azadegan located in the southwestern province of Khuzestan, a few miles east of the border with Iraq. Reportedly, the Azadegan field contains proven crude oil reserves of 26 billion barrels. In July 2004, Iran's oil minister stated that the country's proven oil reserves had increased again, to 132 billion barrels, following new discoveries in the Kushk and Hosseineih fields in Khuzestan province.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/oplan-1002.htm

OPLAN 1002 Defense of the Arabian Peninsula

[Skink]

2. Looks like the U.S. not invited. Better get used to it.

[brainshrub]

3. "They believe that the Americans won't risk to use a military option.''

Yup.

And they would be right.

Even a NeoCon has to recognize that attacking Iran would be suicide. The supremacy of the US dollar ends with the opening of the Iranian oil bourse on March 20, 2006.

There is nothing the Bush Administration can do about it.

[Skink]

4. Headline should read France and Russia meet to discuss pending oil boarse

EU nations and russia are probably pretty excited about now.

[brainshrub]

5. ding ding ding.

Give this man a prize. You nailed it.