Posted on 06/06/2003 5:02:49 PM PDT by Orion78
VIENNA (Reuters) - The United Nations nuclear watchdog agency has accused Iran of failing to comply with its nuclear safeguards agreement, according to a confidential report obtained by Reuters Friday.
But the report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) ahead of a meeting of the agency's board of governors said Iran was taking steps to rectify the situation.
The report, to be presented by IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei to the governors on June 16, will be closely read by the United States, which accuses Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons under the guise of building electricity-generating reactors.
Hawks in President Bush's administration have recently hardened rhetoric against Iran since the U.S.-led war on Iraq, raising the specter of U.S. military action.
Bush, who last year named Iran as part of an "axis of evil" with Iraq and North Korea, denies any plan to attack it.
"Iran has failed to meet its obligations under its safeguards agreement with respect to the reporting of nuclear material, the subsequent processing and use of that material and the declaration of facilities where that material was stored and processed," the report read. The IAEA declined official comment.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi defended the Islamic republic's record: "We have answers for all the points mentioned in this news. We have done nothing which violates our commitments," the spokesman told Reuters.
FAILURE TO REPORT
The report said Iran imported 1.8 tons of natural uranium in 1991 but not declared the import or facilities for handling it to the IAEA until this year. It said this amount of uranium could yield 0.13 kg of enriched uranium for nuclear fuel.
"Although the quantities of nuclear material involved have not been large...the number of failures by Iran to report the material, facilities and activities in question in a timely manner as it is obliged to do pursuant to its Safeguards Agreement is a matter of concern," the report said.
The IAEA, whose inspectors visited Iran in February, said steps were being taken to bring Tehran into compliance with its safeguards agreements, which aim to ensure nuclear materials and facilities in states that sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) do not end up in secret nuclear weapons programs.
Last month, diplomats told Reuters ElBaradei would tell the governors that Iran had committed minor violations of the NPT.
An IAEA diplomat familiar with the report noted that the written text did not use the word "violation." However, Iran's failure to comply with its safeguards obligations may be interpreted as an NPT violation by some IAEA member countries.
Washington has already accused Iran of violating the NPT and believes it has ambitions of developing nuclear weapons. Iran denies this and says its atomic program, aided by Russia, is solely for electricity -- an explanation U.S. officials treat with skepticism in view of Iran's huge oil and gas reserves.
Diplomats say they suspect Iran may have undeclared uranium and that it may also have tested uranium-enrichment systems using this nuclear material without telling the IAEA. They have also said this would probably be a violation of the NPT.
Russia is building Iran's first reactor, at Bushehr, despite U.S. complaints. Moscow insists it will recover spent fuel to ensure Iran cannot use it for weapons. A deputy foreign minister said Friday that Russia still also wanted Tehran to sign up for further IAEA controls, allowing for spot inspections.
(Additional reporting by Parisa Hafezi in Tehran)
Geee seems to me they did the same thing with iraq did'nt they ! it was irrelivant 4 months ago with IRAQ and their irrelevant NOW with IRAN!
We will pick our fights doogie annon not your corrupt orgnization!
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