Here we go again. The neo-crazies are demanding the Iranians prove they don’t have a nuke development program – or else.
A year ago, the neo-crazies were demanding the Iraqis prove they didn’t have a nuke development program – or else.
Of course, neither Iraq nor Iran are required to prove anything to the neo-crazies.
But Iraq and Iran are signatories to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Hence, they are required to satisfy the International Atomic Energy Agency that they aren’t engaging in NPT-prohibited activities. And if they can’t, the U.N. Security Council could invoke sanctions – or worse.
In particular, they are required to “declare” uranium-enrichment facilities once constructed and subject them to the IAEA Safeguards regime once operational. It is a violation of the NPT to not “declare” such facilities and – even if “declared” – to produce weapons-grade enriched uranium in them.
In the aftermath of the Gulf War, the IAEA discovered that Iraq had constructed uranium enrichment facilities and operated them in violation of the NPT. When these NPT violations were reported in 1991 to the U.N. Security Council, economic sanctions were imposed on Iraq, which were never lifted even though the IAEA reported in 1997 that Iraq was no longer in violation.
Within the last year, Iran has revealed that it, too, has uranium-enrichment facilities under construction – but not yet ready to “declare” – and invited IAEA inspectors to come take a look around, take environmental samples, etc.
Director General ElBaradei was reportedly “stunned” at the scale of the Iranian construction and the sophistication of the enrichment technology. Worse still, two of the environmental samples taken at not yet “operational” facilities showed trace amounts of “highly enriched” uranium.
The IAEA Board of Governors promptly expressed “grave concern” that ElBaradei had been unable to provide “assurances” that there were no materials or activities in Iran that ought to have been “declared,” but had not been.
The board resisted U.S. pressure to take the Iranian NPT “violations” to the Security Council so sanctions could be imposed on Iran, similar to those imposed on Iraq in 1991.
Instead, the board adopted – on Sept. 12, 2003 – a resolution that “calls” on Iran to provide “full transparency” to IAEA inspections and to ensure there are “no further failures to report material, facilities and activities that Iran is obliged to report pursuant to its safeguards agreement.”
In the meantime, the board called on Iran to “suspend all further uranium enrichment-related activities” and “any reprocessing activities, pending provision by the director general of the assurances required by member states.”
For their part, the Iranians are confident they will be able to provide such assurances. In particular, they claim the radioactive contamination the IAEA found was already on the enrichment equipment when they bought it.
You see, the United States has applied sanctions on Iran for more than 20 years, pressuring European suppliers not to supply Iran with technology, materials and equipment Iran has every right to acquire under the NPT. In particular, President Clinton forced Russia to cancel the sale of a gas-centrifuge uranium-enrichment plant to Iran in 1995.
So, Iran has had to be “discreet” in its acquisitions.
The Iranians have now turned over to ElBaradei – nine days before the “deadline” in the IAEA resolution – what they claim is a complete “audit” of all their acquisitions.
Perhaps anticipating some embarrassing revelations about certain “discreet” acquisitions, Brit, German and French foreign ministers hastily converged on Tehran this week and – on behalf of Russia and the European Union – promised that if Iran does satisfy ElBaradei, their countries would provide “easier access to modern technology and supplies in a range of areas”
Furthermore, they have promised to “cooperate with Iran to promote security and stability in the region, including the establishment of a zone free from weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East, in accordance with the objectives of the United Nations.”
What does that mean?
It means Russia and the EU – including the Brits – will respond to any attempt by the Israelis to “‘take out” Iranian reactors and enrichment facilities.
Furthermore, Russia and the EU – including the Brits – will join with the Organization of the Islamic Conference in demanding that Israel transparently dismantle and dispose of its nuke stockpile, fissile materials and fissile material production capability.
Needless to say, this declaration by Russia and the European Union is not what the neo-crazies had in mind when they set out to do unto Iran what they had done to Iraq.
