Western Resistance: US: Iran Dispute May Jeopardise Russian Space Cooperation

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September 30, 2005

US: Iran Dispute May Jeopardise Russian Space Cooperation

In an article by Canada's CNEWS, it is reported that NASA's top official, Michael Griffin, is concerned that Russia's supplying of arms to Iran may cost future participation between Russia and the US on the joint space program, the International Space Station. Russia is helping Iran to build its nuclear power installation, which many in the IAEA already believe will be used to harvest plutonium for nuclear weapons. This would, in effect, mean that NASA's involvement with Russia, through its use of Soyuz and Progress spacecraft to reach the space station (ISS), would be breaking the law. The law in question is the Iran Nonproliferation Act of 2000. Russia is seeking payments from the US, since it has relied on Soviet craft to reach the ISS.

The Iran Nonproliferation Act requires that money should not be paid to any country supplying Iran with weapons of mass destruction, unless George W Bush determines that Russia is taking steps to prevent "transfers to Iran of weapons of mass destruction, missile technology and advanced conventional weapons technology."

Tomorrow, a US astronout will be blasting off to the ISS in a Russian Soyuz, accompanied by a Russian cosmonaut and a US businessmen who has paid for his own ticket.

Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at September 30, 2005 5:14 PM