By Dr. Charles Dyer
The Land and the Book
The city of Qom, Iran, is a center of Shi'ia scholarship. But just 18 miles to the north of the city is a site that's becoming a center of worldwide concern.
Iran is beginning the process of nuclear enrichment at the underground facility it built at Fordow. It appears they will use the facility to enrich uranium to 20%, which is far above the level of purity required to generate nuclear power.
The West has threatened every available means, including military intervention, to stop Iran from pursuing its nuclear ambitions. Iran responded by threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz...choking off the world's flow of oil. Today a report surfaced indicating the West is readying plans to release up to 14 million barrels of oil per day from its strategic oil reserves which could make up for most of the oil passing through the Strait. The report also stated the West could sustain this level of supply for up to a month, which might indicate how long they anticipate it could take to eliminate Iran's ability to threaten shipping.
The two photos in this report are from Google Earth. The first shows the location of the Fordow facility in relation to the city of Qom. The second is a close-up of the facility itself. It doesn't look impressive, but the site has been the center of attention for the West...and might just become the bullseye for military intervention in the coming months.
Related Links
Iran: New uranium enrichment facility to soon become operational • Haaretz West readies oil plan in case of Iran crisis • Reuters Britain to send most-advanced warship to Persian Gulf • Monsters and Critics Iran offers mixed response to U.S. pirate rescue • USA Today Iran Starts Military Exercise Near Afghan Border • RadioFreeEurope / RadioLiberty
