United Against Nuclear Iran

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

WHAT IS UANI AND WHAT DO THEY STAND FOR?
United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), a program of the American Coalition Against Nuclear Iran, Inc., is a section 501(c)(3) organization (application for exemption pending). UANI is a non-partisan, broad-based coalition that will comprise individuals and organizations from across the spectrum. UANI’s coalition of members -- including human rights and humanitarian groups, the labor movement, political advocacy and grassroots organizations, representatives of diverse ethnicities, faith communities, political and social affiliations -- will be united in a commitment to prevent Iran from fulfilling its ambition to become a regional superpower possessing nuclear weapons. UANI is an issue-based coalition in which each coalition member will have its own interests as well as the collective goal of advancing an Iran free of nuclear weapons. UANI will be led by a board of outstanding national figures representing all sectors of our country.

WHAT IS SO BAD ABOUT A NUCLEAR IRAN?
A nuclear Iran would be a major threat to American security interests, regional stability, and world peace. Since 1979 the Iranian regime, most recently under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s leadership, has demonstrated increasingly threatening behavior and rhetoric toward the US and the West. Iran continues to defy the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the United Nations in their attempts to monitor its nuclear activities. A number of Arab states have warned that Iran’s development of nuclear weapons poses a threat to Middle East stability and could provoke a regional nuclear arms race. In short, the prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran is a threat of the highest magnitude. Iran is led by radical Islamic clerics with history of hostile behavior including a willingness to wage war and to battle the United States and its allies. With a nuclear weapon, Iran would be able to project its power throughout the region, threaten key US allies as well as American troops, and share the technology or the weapons with terrorist groups that target the United States.

ISN'T IRAN’S NUCLEAR PROGRAM FOR PEACEFUL PURPOSES?
While Iran is claiming they are enriching uranium to use only for energy and not weapons, this is false and disingenuous. For example, they have 320 tons of uranium hexafluoride to enrich with their centrifuges, the only problem is that this is not enough to power one reactor, but it could make as many as 100 bombs. Iran is constructing a heavy-water nuclear reactor at Arak, and this is of particular concern since the spent fuel from a heavy-water reactor is better suited for nuclear weapons than the plutonium produced by light water reactors like the one the Iranians are building at Bushehr. Iran says it will not separate the plutonium from the spent fuel and that the reactor will be used for the civilian purpose of producing medical isotopes, but Iran already has a research reactor with unused capacity that is capable of producing medical isotopes and experts have pointed out that the Arak facility is much larger than necessary for that purpose. As the late Tom Lantos (D-CA) said in March of 2007, “Ahmadinejad…claims that his nuclear energy plans, his nuclear fuel cycle plans are designed purely for peaceful purposes. Now there isn't a person in this room, there isn't a person who is remotely rational who believes him”.

WHEN WILL IRAN HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON?
Estimates on when Iran could have a nuclear weapon vary, but senior officials from Iran and the IAEA have said that it could come as soon as December of this year. On January 31, 2008, the New York Times reported that Pres. Ahmadinejad said “we have been promised that we will have nuclear power this time next year in our power grid.” In a June, 2008 interview with Al Arabiya, IAEA DG Mohamed ElBaradei Stated Iran Could Have a Nuclear Weapon in “six months to one year.” Whoever you believe to be more correct, the point is clear that Iran is very close to creating a nuclear weapon.

WHAT WILL UANI BE DOING ABOUT IRAN?

1. Build a broad, bipartisan and inclusive coalition with leading individuals and organizations representing a broad spectrum of views;
2. Educate the public about the nature of the Iranian regime, including its desire and intent to possess nuclear weapons, as well as Iran’s role as the key state sponsor of global terrorism, and a major violator of human rights at home and abroad;
3. Heighten awareness nationally and internationally about the grave threat that a nuclear-armed Iran poses to the region and the world;
4. Educate the public and opinion leaders about Iran’s role as the key state sponsor of global terrorism, leading executer of women and children, and major violator of human rights at home and abroad;
5. Mobilize public support, utilize media outreach, and call upon elected leaders to voice a united American opposition to a nuclear Iran;
6. Lay the groundwork for effective US policies in coordination with European and other allies;
7. Persuade the regime in Tehran to desist from its quest for nuclear weapons; while striving not to punish the Iranian people, and;
8. Promote efforts that focus on vigorous national and international, social, economic, political and diplomatic measures.

WHAT CAN I DO TO PREVENT IRAN FROM GETTING A NUCLEAR WEAPON?
At first glance, the problem of a nuclear Iran may seem too big for any one person to confront, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. You can:

1. Use the UANI website action center to organize your own protest and write letters to the editors of major news publication;
2. Sign up for UANI’s Eye on Iran to stay informed;
3. Write letters to elected officials;
4. Divest from organizations doing business in Iran;
5. Donate to UANI.

HOW CAN I DONATE TO UANI?
You can make a donation online or contact UANI for additional information.

HOW DO I CONTACT UANI?
You can call UANI at 212-554-3296, fax to 212-554-3299 or send an email to
info@unitedagainstnucleariran.com