Posted on 06/14/2007 9:56:11 AM PDT by freedom44
VIENNA, Austria — The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency said Thursday an attack on Iran over its refusal to freeze programs that could make nuclear weapons would be "an act of madness," an indirect warning to the United States and Israel.
International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei also said Iran could be running close to 3,000 uranium-enriching centrifuges by the end of next month — a number that IAEA officials have described as the point of no return in the start of a large-scale program.
ElBaradei spoke at the end of a meeting of his agency's 35-nation board, a gathering that focused on Iran's refusal to heed U.N. Security Council demands that it freeze activities that could serve to make nuclear arms and provide answers on suspicious aspects of its program.
He also urged Iran to offer a "self-imposed moratorium" on enrichment, describing it as a "good confidence-building measure" that could launch negotiations on the standoff
But the chief Iranian envoy to the meeting asserted his country would never suspend enrichment — the key issue of Security Council concern. Iran has said its nuclear program is peaceful and aims to generate energy, not bombs.
Although they've called for a negotiated solution, both the U.S. and Israel have refused to outright dismiss the possibility that they might target Iran militarily if it refuses to back down.
ElBaradei described use of force as "an act of madness ... (that) would not resolve the issue."
"The next few months will be crucial," he said: "Iran is building a capacity, a knowledge" of enrichment that is irreversible, while not providing evidence sought by his agency "that this is a peaceful program."
"Even if Iran wants to have a weapon they are three to eight years away," ElBaradei said, citing unidentified intelligence sources for his estimate. But "the longer we delay, the less option we have to reach a peaceful solution."
Iran's defiance of U.N. Security Council demands it stop enrichment and construction of a plutonium-producing reactor as well as increase cooperation with IAEA inspectors has led to two sets of sanctions.
A recent IAEA report confirmed that Iran was expanding its activities and continuing to stonewall the IAEA in its attempts to gain more information on past activities of concern. That has set the stage for a new round of Security Council-imposed penalties.
Declaring that Tehran had become the "master of uranium enrichment" Ali Ashgar Soltanieh, Iran's chief IAEA envoy, said his country will never suspend its program.
Like enriched uranium, plutonium can be used for the fissile core of nuclear warheads. Iran, however, says it wants to develop enrichment to generate nuclear power and asserts it is building the plutonium-producing reactor for research and medical purposes.
Soltanieh evaded a question on whether his country had solved all technical problems in the intensely complicated enrichment process of spinning uranium gas through centrifuges at high speed.
U.S. officials have told The Associated Press their information indicates Iran has not yet achieved the technical perfection. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing confidential matters.
Gregory L. Schulte, the U.S. envoy to the IAEA, scoffed at Soltanieh's claim of enrichment mastery, telling AP Television News: "The Iranian ambassador spins faster than any centrifuge."
ElBaradei, however, cautioned that Iran was "speeding up its enrichment capacity" to the point where it could have just under 3,000 uranium-enriching centrifuges running in series by the end of July and "was steadily moving toward perfecting the technology."
"Whether some of the centrifuges are running with the speed desired, whether some of the centrifuges have been crashed, that is a part we have yet not seen and we still have to do some analysis," ElBaradei said.
"But it is clear ... that they are meeting their expectations at least in terms of the level of enrichment," he said, alluding to his agency's recent confirmation that centrifuges at Tehran's underground Natanz facility have churned out small amounts of fuel-grade enriched uranium.
IAEA officials have informally identified an Iranian enrichment operation running 3,000 centrifuges as the start of a large-scale program, while experts say that number could produce enough material for several warheads a year. Tehran says it wants to operate 54,000 centrifuges — enough for a full-scale weapons program should it want to go that route.
Lots of Americans claim dual citizenship. Its an unfortunate plague we allowed to develop. No man can serve two masters.
But that dual citizenship means they are as much American as Iranian and their visits to family back there provided the Iranians with an opportunity to insult us.
People who are insulted in the middle east and do not retaliate loose face. People who loose face, loose status.
We should not permit the Ayatollahs to insult us AGAIN as they did under Jimmy Carter. Its develoing into an embarassing habit.
“their visits to family back there “
They should visit Iran under their U.S. Passports and if they do, they go as U.S. citizens, not as Iranian citizens and they won’t be detained. These people all knew that.
That’s been the subject of debate. I haven’t kept up, but it seems if they didn’t work directly for a Soros funded group, several have accepted money from him/them.
bttt
“Anyone carrying an Iranian passport is considered an Iranian citizen by the regime.”
Actually, that is partly correct.
Under Islamic Republic law the following applies:
1) Anyone born in Iran is considered an Iranian citizen. Especially so if he/she was issued an Iranian birth certificate or has previously held an Iranian passport or if his/her father is/was an Iranian by birth. Note: not mother, but father.
During Shah’s regime, a person whose mother only was Iranian could apply for an Iranian citizenship and be granted one, even if not born in Iran. But, IR does not allow it unless they can prove that they were in fact born in Iran, i.e. a birth certificate. However, I also hear that they are now re-considering the laws regarding the grant of Iranian citizenship if only one’s mother is Iranian by birth.
2) If one is born in Iran or has a father who is by birth an Iranian and has previously held an Iranian passport, he/she is considered an Iranian, under IR law, and regardless of dual citizenship and is subject to Islamic Republic laws when entering Iran.
Most governments advise and a few actually warn Iranians before their “naturalization” that if they decide to travel to Iran (even as dual citizens) and if arrested in Iran, their adopted country and its citizenship are considered secondary by IR. Therefore, their adopted country, in essence, is powerless to do a great deal to help them. Of course, their adopted country can lodge a protest, etc... but those arrested are considered Iranians.
3) If an Iranian (especially by birth) decides to travel to Iran with his/her U.S. or otherwise passport, he/she will have to apply for a VISA from the IR Embassy or Consulate. Now, unless the applicant has a different “place of birth” other than Iran mentioned in his/her passport, then IR will know that he/she is in fact Iranian under IR law. Of course, they can either grant the VISA or refuse to do so.
In summary, the main difference is between being born in Iran vs. being a naturalized American or whatever. The father’s birthplace plays a critical role too as far as IR law is concerned.
Re: Post #27 - point 3
To clarify: “with his/her U.S. or otherwise passport”
otherwise passport = non-Iranian passport.
Correct. The regime does not recognize dual citizenship. So anyone carrying an Iranian passport -ie travelling under one - is an Iranian citizen as far as the regime is concerned, and subject to Iranian law. And these people all knew that.
It’s a bad time to use your Iranian passport just to get around having to wait for a visa to enter Iran.
What I was saying, in parts, is that even if they issue you a visa and you visit Iran with your U.S. passport, but you were born in Iran (says in your passport “place of birth = Tehran-Iran, for example”), you are still considered an Iranian citizen and subject to Iranian law, by IR.
It means that you are only a naturalized U.S. citizen, not by birth. In IR, the country of your birth, if it is Iran, will supersede the citizenship (passport) of the country under which you may travel to Iran.
I agree that these people, especially someone such as Esfandiari, who has a political profile should not have gone to Iran. They do it at their own risk.
Hi -
I understand. But the regime has steered clear of Iranian/Americans travelling under U.S. passports (so far). Time will tell if the regime dares to overstep that line.
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