Israel Matzav

IAEA complains: Iran hampers inspectors

It should surprise no one that Iran is not cooperating with the IAEA. In fact, if anything, the surprise is that the IAEA is actually complaining about it.

The complaint by the International Atomic Energy Agency was made in a restricted report on Iran made available to The Associated Press. It follows Iran’s recent decision to strip two experienced inspectors of the right to monitor Teheran’s nuclear activities after the two reported undeclared nuclear experiments.

The Islamic Republic says the reporting by the two was inaccurate, but the IAEA stands by the findings.

Objections by Iran to some experienced inspectors “hampers the inspection process and thereby detracts from the agency’s capability to implement effective and efficient safeguards in Iran,” the document said.

The 11-page report devoted a special section to the complaint, reflecting the importance attached to it by IAEA chief Yukiya Amano. Such a section was included in only one previous report, after Iran impeded the work of dozens of inspectors in 2006 and 2007.

The quarterly report, which was being circulated to the IAEA’s 35-nation board and to the UN Security Council, also said Iran has continued to enrich uranium in contravention of UN Security Council demands.

The report noted that while the rate of enrichment had not significantly changed over the past year, it was steady, with Teheran having accumulated about 2.8 tons of low-enriched material – nearly enough for three nuclear bombs – since its program was revealed seven years ago.

The report also said that Iran continued to stonewall the agency in its efforts to follow up on US and other intelligence indicating past experiments meant to develop a nuclear weapons program. It also warned that with the passage of time, chances of establishing the accuracy of such information were diminishing.

With Iran refusing to engage on the issue for over two years, “the possible deterioration in the availability of some relevant information increases the urgency of this matter,” said the report.

Maybe if Obama bows to Ahmadinejad at the UN General Assembly the week after next, Iran will start cooperating. Maybe the sun will rise from the West too....

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 2:08 PM