IAEA says no evidence of Iranian Nuclear Weapons plan

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IAEA says no evidence of Iranian Nuclear Weapons plan

by Atul Aneja

 

March 2, 2006

The Hindu

 

 

DUBAI: As the countdown for a crucial meeting on Iran on March 6 gets

under way, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has revealed

that it has not found any evidence that Teheran had diverted material

towards making atomic weapons.

 

In its report which has been circulated to its 35 board members, the

IAEA said that its three years of investigations had not shown " any

diversion of nuclear material to nuclear weapons or other nuclear

explosive devices " , the Associated Press reported.

 

Cooperation sought

 

However, it called upon Iran to substantially increase its cooperation

with the IAEA inspectors as the agency has not been able " to conclude

that there are no undeclared nuclear materials or activities in Iran. "

 

Without heightened cooperation, the agency would be unable to

establish whether some of Iran's past nuclear activities under wraps

were not linked to the manufacture of nuclear weapons. Iranian Foreign

Minister Manouchehr Mottaki who has been visiting Japan said, " They

(IAEA) could not find evidence which shows that Iran has diverted from

its peaceful purposes of nuclear activities in Iran. " The report is

likely to strongly influence the March 6 meeting in Vienna where the

IAEA board is expected to discuss the future course of action on Iran.

 

On February 4, the board had decided to report Iran's case to the U.N.

Security Council, which can take action against Iran, including the

imposition of economic sanctions.

 

Buoyed by the report, Iran is rushing the head of its Supreme National

Security Council (SNSC) Ali Larijani to Russia for another round of talks.

 

A Russian delegation led by Sergei Kiriyenko held talks with Iran over

the weekend.

 

These discussions had revolved around the establishment of a joint

venture facility in Russia, which would produce enriched uranium for

generating electricity.

 

That meeting produced an " agreement in principle " on this subject.

 

However, later, differences appear to have surfaced on another issue —

on whether Iran would be allowed to operate a small-scale enrichment

plant for research purposes.

 

The IAEA report said that Iran had begun enrichment using 10

centrifuges — a move which can result in the production of only minute

quantities of enriched uranium.

 

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