The Institute for Science and International Security, a Washington-based nuclear watchdog, has obtained satellite images showing that a row of cooling towers at Pakistan's secret Khushab-III reactor has been completed. This suggests the plant could begin operation within months, allowing Pakistan substantially to increase its stockpiles of weapons-grade plutonium.

Last year, Barack Obama, US president, called for "a new treaty that verifiably ends the production of fissile materials". In response, the Conference on Disarmament, a 64-nation coalition that negotiated the 1992 Chemical Weapons convention and the 1996 Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, agreed to negotiate a Fissile Materials Cut-off Treaty, intended to cap production of weapons-grade enriched uranium and most forms of plutonium.

But Pakistan, which is deepening its nuclear ties to China, has blocked the Conference on Disarmament from starting discussions, saying a cut-off would hurt its national security interests. Ashley Tellis, a scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said: "Pakistan thinks its going to be forced to cap its fissile material stocks and wants to make sure it has as much as it can get before then." The country's position has frustrated many states. Rose Gottmeiler, the US Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control, recently warned that her country's "patience is running out".

Khushab-III is the latest in a series of reactors built to feed Pakistan's nuclear weapons programme. Khushab-II, located next to its new sister plant, became operational in February. The plutonium produced at the complex allows for the construction of small but lethal weapons: a single kilogram can produce an explosion equal to 20,000 tons of conventional explosives.

Source.

Background:
Pakistan: terrorist attacks and double game continues.
US slams Pakistan.
Contacts with the Taliban.
US top Defence officials worried about ISI's involvement with the Talibans.

Speaking to a massive crowd of Friday prayers worshippers and the faithful in Tehran, Hojjatol-Islam Kazem Sedighi referred to the upcoming international nuclear disarmament conference in Tehran, and said the Iranian nation is organizing this international conference on nuclear disarmament because our religion and our customs oblige us (tell us ) to respect the right of every human being.

Heh, yeah, right. What rights? Because I don't see women, non-Muslims, homosexuals et al have their rights very respected in Iran, do they.

Turning to recent threats by US president, Barack Obama against the Islamic republic of Iran, Hojjatol-Islam Kazem Sedighi said Obama's threats against Iran are sheer stupidity and an obvious disgrace.

In further remarks, Tehran's interim Friday Prayers Leader referred to America's track record of using nuclear weapons against other countries, and said given this history, the United States is not in a position to lecture or chide other countries who are pursuing a peaceful civilian nuclear program.

Heh, it's not the same the context in which US used the nuclear bomb (despite the evident damage), than the actual context of Iran. No one has attacked Iran, but Iranian president has spoken about "wiping Israel off the map".

Turning to the recent nuclear security conference in Washington, Hojjatol-Islam Kazem Sedighi said that conference was just a talking shop – a somewhat hollow conference -- with little or no substantive achievements.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Tehran's interim Friday Prayers Leader praised Iranian nuclear scientists and engineers, saying the Islamic republic of Iran is justly proud of them, since they have brought honour top the country. He pointedly added: "Young and highly committed Iranian scientists have proved to the world that there is no contradiction between science and technology and religion, and that religion is perfectly compatible with science, advancement and progress.

Yes, religion is perfectly compatible with science, but only with the science that gives more power to the Ayatollahs. I'm sure that if the science was to give more power to the Iranian people, he wouldn't speak in those terms.

Anyway, remember when Obama was speaking about "dialogue with no preconditions with Iran"? Clearly they were not impressed then and are not so now. But now they are enraged by the possibility of being attacked by US nuclear weapons, after Obama said that the new US rules (no nuclear attack against non-nuclear states) don't include Iran and North Korea.