US HYPES THE WAR ON IRAN

"IRAN COULD PRODUCE NUCLEAR BOMB IN 16 DAYS"

RUSSIA AND CHINA TELL US AND ISRAEL TO BACK OFF

From Bloomberg : "Iran, defying United Nations Security Council demands to halt its nuclear program, may be capable of making a nuclear bomb within 16 days, a U.S. State Department official said.

"Iran will move to `'industrial scale'' uranium enrichment involving 54,000 centrifuges at its Natanz plant, the Associated Press quoted deputy nuclear chief Mohammad Saeedi as telling state-run television today.

"'Using those 50,000 centrifuges they could produce enough highly enriched uranium for a nuclear weapon in 16 days,' Stephen Rademaker, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Nonproliferation, told reporters..."

From Xinhua : "Chinese Ambassador to the United Nations Wang Guangya said Tuesday that military and economic measures on Iran's nuclear issue are counterproductive.

Wang....is also the current president of the UN Security Council...

"We still believe that negotiations and diplomatic solution is the best way out of it," he observed.

Russia has also been critical towards any talk of military action against Iran and, like China, also opposes sanctions.

In two weeks, the Iran issue goes before the UN Security Council where the US will push for sanctions. China and Russia are expected to oppose this move and win the vote.

The US and Israel don't need permission from the Security Council to take military action against Iran, though it would be an illegal act under international law. As was the War On Iraq.