The Rembrandt Affair

names.
    “Bushehr, Arak, Isfahan, Natanz. The key sites in the Iranian nuclear program. We all know the facilities well, but allow me to review them briefly. Bushehr is the nuclear power station built with German and Russian help. Isfahan is a conversion facility where uranium ore is turned into hexafluoride gas and uranium oxide. Arak is a heavy-water plant. And Natanz, of course, is Iran’s primary uranium-enrichment facility.” Carter paused, then added, “Or so it claims.”
    Carter lowered the laser pointer and turned to face his audience. “Our governments have long suspected those four sites are just the tip of the iceberg and that Iran is also building a chain of secret underground enrichment facilities. Now, thanks to our friends from Tel Aviv, we appear to have proof of our suspicions. And we believe Martin Landesmann, chairman of Global Vision Investments, is helping the Iranians do it.”
    Carter looked toward the Israeli delegation. “While it’s true we’ve all been seeing the same intelligence on Landesmann for the past seventy-two hours, it was Rimona Stern who managed to connect the dots first. For those of you meeting her for the first time, Rimona is a former major in the Israel Defense Forces, an excellent field operative, and one of the country’s most experienced intelligence analysts. You should also know that her uncle is none other than Ari Shamron. So I would advise you all to watch your step.”
    Shamron smiled and watched his niece intently as she rose and took Carter’s place at the front of the room. Without a word, she advanced the PowerPoint presentation to the next image. Once again, it was a map of Iran. But this time, only one location was labeled.
    The holy city of Qom…

    I T WAS Q OM that proved the mullahs were lying, Rimona began. Qom that shattered any last misplaced hopes the Iranian nuclear program was intended for anything other than producing weapons. Why else would they conceal a secret uranium-enrichment facility deep in a desert mountain? And why else would they refuse to disclose the facility to the International Atomic Energy Agency, nuclear watchdog of the United Nations? But there was a nagging problem with Qom, she reminded them. It was designed to house just three thousand centrifuges. And if those centrifuges were Iranian-made IR-1s, Qom could only manu facture enough highly enriched uranium to produce one bomb every two years, not enough for Iran to become a full-fledged nuclear power.
    “Which should mean Qom is worthless,” Rimona said. “Unless, of course, there are other Qoms, other secret enrichment facilities just like it scattered around the country. Two facilities with six thousand IR-1s spinning in tandem could produce enough highly enriched uranium to make a bomb each year. But what if there were four facilities with twelve thousand centrifuges? Or eight facilities with twenty-four thousand centrifuges?”
    It was Tom Walker, Rimona’s counterpart from the Agency, who answered. “Then Iran could produce enough enriched uranium to build an effective nuclear arsenal in a matter of months. They could throw the nuclear inspectors out of the country and go for nuclear breakout. And if the chain of secret facilities is well hidden and fortified, there would be almost nothing we could do to stop them.”
    “Correct,” said Rimona. “But what if those centrifuges aren’t wobbly, unreliable pieces of junk like the IR-1? What if they’re similar to the P-2 models used by Pakistan? Or even better than the P-2? What if they’re European designed and calibrated to the highest standards? What if they’re manufactured under conditions where they don’t end up with bothersome impurities like dust and fingerprints?”
    This time it was Adrian Carter who answered. “Then we would be staring down the barrel of a nuclear Iran in a very short period of time.”
    “That’s also correct. And I’m afraid that’s exactly what’s happened. While the civilized world has been talking, dithering, delaying, and wringing its hands, the Iranians have been quietly working to achieve their long-held nuclear ambitions. They’ve engaged in the time-honored deceptive practices of khod’eh and taqiyya. They’ve bluffed, deceived, and stalled their way to the doorstep of a nuclear arsenal. And Martin Landesmann has been helping them every step of the way. He’s not just selling the Iranians the centrifuges. He’s selling them the critical pumps, valves,