May/June 2003, Volume 59, No. 3, pp. 12-15
REPORT
Iran: Furor over fuel
By David Albright & Corey Hinderstein
Amid suspicions that it was developing secret nuclear weapons facilities, Iran revealed earlier this year that its nuclear capabilities were more advanced than thought-that it was nearly ready to start up a gas centrifuge uranium enrichment pilot plant at Natanz, near Kashan in central Iran. Iran also confirmed that it was building a much larger centrifuge facility at the same site, but insisted that both plants were for peaceful purposes only.
Iran lives in a dangerous neighborhood. And with U.S. troops in Iraq and possibly taking up positions along the Iran-Iraq border, Tehran may feel even more threatened than usual, and thus may be more motivated to seek a nuclear weapons capability.
http://www.thebulletin.org/issues/2003/mj03/mj03albright.html