Iran: US Faking Evidence On Nuke Program
VIENNA, Austria (AP) - Iran accused the United States on Thursday of pressuring the U.N.’s nuclear agency to base its latest investigation of Tehran’s nuclear activities on fake evidence suggesting that Iran had a secret weapons program.
It also threatened to sue countries that pushed to have U.N. Security Council involvement in its nuclear program, a clear allusion to the United States and its key allies.
The U.S., France, Australia, Canada and Japan were using the nuclear issue to find an excuse for “their hidden agenda,” including regime change and depriving Iran of science and technology, said Ali Ashgar Soltanieh, Iran’s chief delegate to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Speaking at the closing session of the 35-nation IAEA board, he suggested the failed attempt to push Iran into concessions on its nuclear program and give up uranium enrichment was only one example of a series of bad foreign policy decisions by Washington.
The U.S. “has continuously miscalculated in dealing with world affairs,” he said in comments to the closed meeting made available to media. “The dark record in our region clearly proves this assertion.”
Since beginning its investigation last year into allegations of a secret Iranian nuclear weapons program, the IAEA has asked in vain for substantive explanations for what seem to be draft plans to refit missiles with nuclear warheads; explosives tests that could be used to develop a nuclear detonator; military and civilian nuclear links; and a drawing showing how to mold uranium metal into the shape of warheads.
Iran remains defiant, saying the evidence from the U.S. and other board members purportedly backing the allegations was fabricated.
Soltanieh expanded on those charges Thursday, challenging IAEA statements that the investigation was based on intelligence and other information from 10 board member nations.
“Except for one document, all documents … have been provided to the agency by the U.S.,” he said, adding that briefings on the alleged weapons activities were based on “fabricated” evidence “because of the pressures imposed by the U.S.”
Iran is also under fire for defying three sets of U.N. Security Council sanctions and continuing to enrich uranium—which can generate both nuclear fuel and the fissile material for the core of nuclear warheads.
In a warning to the U.S. and other nations that pushed for Security Council involvement in Iran’s nuclear file, Soltanieh said Tehran had “the right to resort to legal actions to seek redress against the sponsors of these unlawful actions.”
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June 5th, 2008 at 7:00 amIraq deja vu: First sanctions, then obstruction by the regime, then harsher sanctions, then obstruction by the regime, then ultimatums, them bluster by the regime, then destruction of the regime and freedom.
Watch your fucking arse monkey.
June 5th, 2008 at 8:47 amWe got the goods on the tree monkey. This is no time for foreign policy retards like Obama Bin Lying. We need a Churchill, but might end up with a Hoover. Better than a Koh-tair….
June 5th, 2008 at 12:50 pm