Posted on 06/08/2004 12:00:10 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
VIENNA, Austria (AP) - Key European powers on Tuesday presented a draft resolution that takes Iran to task for lagging cooperation with a U.N. atomic agency probe into its suspect nuclear activities.
The draft "deplores" the fact that Iran's "cooperation has not been complete, timely and proactive," a diplomat quoting parts of the text to The Associated Press said.
At the same time, the diplomat said, the draft, written by France, Britain and Germany, "acknowledges Iranian cooperation" in granting agency inspectors access to sites and locations in their investigation.
The draft was circulated informally among delegations representing the 35-nation board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency ahead of a board meeting that starts Monday
Another diplomat also familiar with the text said that its language could change before it is formally presented at the board meeting.
But he said expectations were that any resolution would express international impatience with Iran because of outstanding questions about its uranium enrichment programs and other suspect activities that the United States says points to weapons ambitions.
"We all agree that the Iranians cannot be trusted 100 percent," said the diplomat, from a board member nation. "The Europeans and the Americans agree on the need to keep pushing the Iranians for transparency."
The meeting of the IAEA board of governors will review of report on Iran by agency Director General Mohamed ElBaradei, as part of more than a yearlong probe of nearly two decades of covert nuclear activities.
The IAEA report alleges Iran tried to buy critical parts for advanced P-2 centrifuges that can be used for energy purposes or to enrich uranium to weapons grade.
It also says the origin of highly enriched uranium traces normally used to make nuclear weapons is still unclear - although Iran insists they were not produced domestically but imported on equipment it purchased through black market middlemen.
Iran suspended uranium enrichment last year, and in April it said it had stopped building centrifuges. The moves followed mounting international pressure after IAEA inspectors found the traces of highly enriched uranium at two Iranian sites last year and evidence that Iran was trying to build centrifuges capable of producing weapons-grade uranium.
Iran long has rejected U.S. allegations its nuclear program is for military purposes. ElBaradei said last month his agency had not found proof to date of a concrete link between Iran's nuclear activities and its military program, but "it was premature to make a judgment."
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