AND THE GRIM NEWS ROLLS ON – AT 9:08 A.M. ET:  As President Obama spends his time attacking Bain Capital, the Iranians are spending their time 1) laughing at us, and 2) building their nuclear program.  The so-called "negotiations" with Iran are a farce, as defense expert Con Coughlin of Britain's Telegraph, reports:

A specialist team of 60 nuclear scientists has been seconded to a specially-designated unit called the New Defence Research Organisation which answers directly to the Revolutionary Guards, the elite force under the control of Iran's supreme leader.

Having previously revealed the existence of Iran's top-secret uranium enrichment plant at Natanz, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) says it has now uncovered conclusive evidence of how the Revolutionary Guards are quietly expanding the weapons programme.

The new unit, which set up last year, has been established to work on the key areas of the weapons programme that still need to be completed before Iran can start work on assembling a nuclear weapon.

Last week The Daily Telegraph revealed that Sir John Sawers, the head of MI6, had told a select group of senior civil servants that, at the current rate of progress, Iran would be able to have a nuclear device within two years.
But Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's spiritual leader who has overall responsibility for Iran's nuclear programme, is keen for Iran's nuclear scientists to intensify their efforts to achieve the technological expertise required for making an atom bomb.

According to the NCRI, the Iranian opposition movement which claims to have a highly effective network of activists working inside the country. the headquarters of the new research unit is based at Mojdeh, in the Lavizan region.

The unit has been divided into seven subdivisions which each have responsibility for conducting a specific area of research. These include working on the fissile material used for making a nuclear weapons, conducting research into the different metals used for making a warhead, and developing a detonator for such a device.

COMMENT:  We cannot independently confirm the accuracy of the report, but the sources have been solid, and Iran has been relentless in its pursuit of nuclear weapons. 

Miss Hillary, a few days ago, assured us that we would use all available options to prevent Iran from getting the bomb.  But the words seem weak, for they are issued on behalf of a weak president.  In the meantime, the danger to the United States grows.  And yes, to the administration's credit, it is beefing up our forces, especially naval forces, in the areas around Iran.  Combined with the escalated crisis in Syria (see our first story today), we can be sure that serious stuff is coming.

July 18,  2012