Iran says nuke process taken to new level: Atomic program could be further along than suspected

TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran's president has thrown a new wrinkle into thenuclear debate by claiming his country is testing a centrifuge thatcould be used to more speedily create fuel for power plants or atomicweapons.

But some analysts familiar with the country's technology saidMonday that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad could be exaggeratingIran's capabilities, either to boost his own political support or topersuade the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency to back off.

The U.N. Security Council has demanded that Iran stop uraniumenrichment work, which the United States and some of its alliessuspect is meant to produce weapons.

Ahmadinejad, in a speech to students last week, claimed for thefirst time that Iran is testing a P-2 centrifuge for enrichinguranium. Such a device would be a vast improvement over the P-1centrifuges that Iran says it has used to do small-scale enrichment.

Iran previously told the International Atomic Energy Agency itgave up all work on P-2 centrifuges three years ago. It was not clearif Iran has been doing work all along on the updated model, orrecently restarted efforts, or even if Ahmadinejad's comment wasaccurate.

SECRET NUKE PROGRAM?

But his assertion is sure to raise fears that Iran might have amore sophisticated atomic program than had been believed. The IAEAand some independent groups have long questioned whether Iran mighthave a parallel, secret nuclear program that is further along.

"Our centrifuges are P-1 type. P-2, which has quadruple thecapacity, now is under the process of research and test in thecountry," Ahmadinejad told students in remarks that weren't reportedby the official Iranian news agency but were later found on thepresidential Web site.

Iran insists it is building up a nuclear program only for peacefulpurposes -- to generate electricity. But the United States and manyof its allies think the Iranians want nuclear weapons.

Iran has come under pressure in recent months to halt all uraniumenrichment, but Ahmadinejad is adamant it will press forward.