AP:

An Iranian plant that produces heavy water officially went into operation on Saturday, despite U.N. demands that Tehran stop the activity because it can be used to develop a nuclear bomb.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad inaugurated the plant, which Tehran says is for peaceful purposes.

The announcement comes days before Thursday's U.N. deadline for Iran to stop uranium enrichment _ which also can be used to create nuclear weapons _ or face economic and political sanctions. ...

Iran has been a building a heavy water reactor near the plant for two years, but the reactor is not scheduled for completion until 2009.

Posted by Laura at August 26, 2006 07:23 AM