IAEA: 'We approved delivery of helium leak detector to Iran'
You will recall that on Saturday night, I reported on the delivery from Holland to Iran of a helium leak detector, which is 'dual-use' equipment, in violation of UN sanctions against the delivery of such equipment to Iran. Now the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says that it approved the delivery - which it claims is necessary to operate a 'cancer therapy project.' “We’ve issued a statement on this issue” on the IAEA website and the “statement confirms that this was equipment for a cancer therapy project,” an IAEA spokesman wrote the Post by e-mail on Friday.As you may recall from the previous report, was ordered by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in line with its technical cooperation program with Iran, [but] was shipped to a banned recipient, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI). AEOI oversees Iran's nuclear proliferation program.
When asked why the IAEA ordered the equipment even though it is illegal under EU law to supply such a device to Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, the IAEA spokesman wrote: “Sorry, can’t add more.
I would, however, caution against assuming that the equipment is from the Netherlands, which is a major transportation hub.”
The IAEA website’s Press Room responded to the Post report under the headline “IAEA on news report on equipment purchase for Iran.”
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The Dutch authorities jump-started an investigation to determine if the exporter of the helium-leak detector and pressure meter equipment for Iran’s sanctioned gas and oil sector faces criminal penalties.
An IAEA spokesman declined to comment on whether the helium-leak detector has a military application, and whether the IAEA had asked that Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization return the device to the IAEA’s Vienna- based headquarters.
Even assuming that the detector is intended to be used for a cancer therapy project, as claimed, should AEOI be entrusted with it? What could go wrong?
The picture at the top is for illustrative purposes only.
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:30 AM
2 Comments:
It sure doesn't appear to take very long to buy off the IAEA head. I always have said, count the number of suitcases they have upon arrival, then count how many they come home with.
I do work with plasma processing and vacuum equipment and therefore I often do use an helium leak detector. But where does cancer treatment equipment use vacuum.....?!? That is the big question here....
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