Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
Voice of America is funded by the US Federal Government and content it
exclusively produces is in the public domain.
July 26, 2008

Ahmadinejad: Iran Now has Up to 6,000 Centrifuges 
--------------------------------------------------

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=1D68634:A6F02AD83191E1603FFC868A9AC541860531BB26A5003E7B&
 
Move could significantly boost country's ability to enrich uranium, used
in nuclear weapons 
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad speaks at Natanz nuclear facility (Apr 2007 file
photo)Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says his nation is now
operating as many as 6,000 uranium enriching centrifuges.Iranian media
report Saturday the president made the comments in a speech to
professors in the northeastern city of Mashhad.Iran had been known to be
operating 3500 uranium-enriching centrifuges at its main nuclear site in
Natanz. In April, President Ahmadinejad announced plans to install 6,000
new centrifuges, which could significantly boost Iran's ability to
enrich uranium. Highly enriched uranium can be used in nuclear weapons,
but Iran says its nuclear program is to generate electricity.The U.N.
Security Council has imposed three sets of sanctions on Iran for
refusing to suspend uranium enrichment.On Friday, senior Iranian cleric
and former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said a deadline will not
help in nuclear talks with Iran, and urged the West to give negotiations
a ch!
 ance.His comments were in response to a U.S. warning that time is
running out for Iran to respond to proposals by the European Union and
the U.N. Security Council to resolve the nuclear standoff.Germany and
the five permanent members of the Security Council: Britain, France,
Russia, China and the United States gave Iran two weeks to respond to an
incentives package discussed last Saturday at talks in Geneva - or risk
another round of sanctions.


.