IAEA report: Teheran may be hiding more nuclear facilities

Research Agency raised concern about possible further secret nuclear sites, Reuters reported quoting an IAEA report obtained by the news agency on Monday.

According to the report, Iran told the IAEA it had begun building the site at Qom in 2007 - but the IAEA, the United Nations' global nuclear proliferation watchdog, had evidence the project had begun in 2002, paused in 2004 and resumed in 2006.

The report said Iran had provided full access for IAEA inspectors on their first visit to the Qom site three weeks ago, but had yet to provide full, credible answers to verify that the plant was only for civilian purposes.

The IAEA's report states "The agency has indicated (to Iran) that its declaration of the new facility reduces the level of confidence in the absence of other nuclear facilities under construction and gives rise to questions about whether there were any other nuclear facilities not declared to the agency. Moreover, Iran's delay in submitting such information to the agency does not contribute to the building of confidence."

The IAEA also said Iran had yet to give answers about the site's chronology and purpose.

Iran voluntarily disclosed the existence of the Qom site in September, apparently in an effort to preempt an appearance of intransigence against the world; the announcement to the IAEA was made just days before US President Barack Obama confronted Iran publicly during the G-20 meeting, when he revealed the existence of Qom in a press conference flanked by UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown and French President Nicholas Sarkozy...

Well, I am gobsmacked. The Iranians, fibbing? Knock me over with a feather.

It's time for a master negotiator like 0bama to send them a stern warning. If they don't knock this stuff off, a strongly-worded note will follow, maybe even the threat of sanctions. Or, I know! We'll get the Russians (snicker!) to send out a joint warning. Maybe even throw in the Cubans as well. That'll larn 'em.

I suppose I shouldn't be enjoying 0bama's humiliation quite so much, but this is the fellow, after all, who knows so much more and so much better than his predecessor and can make the world love us once again. Parts of it, anyway. That would be the parts most intent on threatening their neighbors with annihilation. Yessireebub, that international community is just one big jolly tub of lovable mugs waiting for us to not want to be bad guys anymore. You bet. Want to know what these guys see? They looked at Bush and saw Dick Cheney ready to bust a cap in their collective butt; they look at 0bama and see, God help us, Joe Lieberman. Why wouldn't they laugh?

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