Defiant Iran

Exactly sixty-one years ago after the bombing of Hiroshima, Iran has announced that it will defy the United Nations and expand its nuclear program rather than suspend its enrichment of uranium.

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Iran's top nuclear negotiator said Sunday that Iran will expand -- not suspend -- uranium enrichment activities, in defiance of a U.N. Security Council resolution.

The resolution gave the Islamic Republic until August 31 to halt nuclear activities or face the threat of political and economic sanctions.

Ali Larijani called the U.N. Security Council resolution issued last week "illegal" and said Iran won't respect the deadline. "We reject this resolution," he told reporters.

"We will expand nuclear activities where required. It includes all nuclear technology including the string of centrifuges," Larijani said, referring to the centrifuges Iran uses to enrich uranium.

He said Iran had not violated any of its obligations under the Nuclear Non Proliferation treaty, and that the U.N. had no right to require it suspends enrichment.

"We won't accept suspension," he said.

What's Kofi Annan going to do now?

Perhaps he'll push the deadline back to September 31, to give Iran more time.

That seems like a perfect date, because THERE IS NO SEPTEMBER 31.

Will the world sit back and watch as Iran becomes a nuclear power?

The international community simply cannot allow Iran and its thug president Ahmadinejad to defy the UN with impunity.

Do you think it's a coincidence that Larijani made his declaration on August 6, a day the world pauses to recognize the horror wrought by weapons of mass destruction?

I think it's as much a coincidence as was the North Korean missile test on the Fourth of July.