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World Powers Wrangle Over IAEA Text on Iran Nuclear Standoff
Russia opposes a key clause in a draft resolution for the International Atomic Energy Agency Feb. 2 emergency board session on Iran’s controversial nuclear activities, Agence France-Presse reported yesterday (see GSN, Jan. 26). Russia objects to that clause because Tehran’s failure to meet the demand would open the door to Security Council action, said a senior diplomat. “The Russians object that if the council is empowered to take any sort of action, that this will go further, an automatism that will set off a chain of reactions” under the U.N. Charter, said the diplomat. “If Iran does not do what the resolution tells them, then this could lead to sanctions, or even more,” meaning military action, the diplomat said. Russia wants the change the clause to have the IAEA Board of Governors inform the Security Council about the situation without taking any action, according to the diplomat. A second diplomat said Moscow wants a “two-step” process under which the Security Council would first be informed of the matter, with time allowed for further diplomacy until the next regular IAEA board meeting, scheduled for March 6. U.S. President George W. Bush yesterday expressed support for a Russian compromise offer to enrich uranium for Iran, but said the United States would continue its push for Security Council referral. “The Russians came up with the idea and I support it. And the reason why I think it makes sense is because I do believe people ought to be allowed to have civilian nuclear power,” Bush said. “However, I don’t believe nontransparent regimes that threaten the security of the world should be allowed to gain the technologies necessary to make a weapon. And the Iranians have said, ‘We want a weapon.’ And it’s not in the world’s interests that they have a weapon,” he added (Michael Adler, Agence France-Presse I/IranMania.com, Jan. 26). White House spokesman Scott McClellan acknowledged yesterday afternoon that Bush misspoke regarding Iran’s stated intentions for its nuclear program, the New York Times reported today. “He was referring to their behavior,” McClellan said. “Our concern is their intention is to develop a nuclear weapon under the guise of a civilian program.” Bush’s misstatement could, however, firm up beliefs among IAEA board members that he is convinced that Iran is pursuing nuclear arms, according to the Times. Meanwhile, experts have said that working out the details of the complex Russian compromise proposal could take months or longer, according to the Times. The size of the program and the level of involvement that would be given to Iranian engineers are among the major questions that remain to be answered. In addition, Russian and European officials have said the proposal makes no economic or technological sense from Tehran’s perspective, while the United States continues to oppose even Iran’s uranium conversion operation. “There are those who would argue that conversion is not proliferation-significant because it does not produce weapons-grade material, but from our perspective, conversion is another step forward to acquire enrichment capability,” Gregory Schulte, U.S. ambassador the International Atomic Energy Agency, said Wednesday (Sanger/Sciolino, New York Times, Jan. 27). U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice yesterday expressed impatience with Iran’s newfound interest in Russia’s proposal, Reuters reported. Tehran is “doing nothing but trying to throw up chaff so that they are not referred to the Security Council and people shouldn’t let them get away with it. ... The time (for a formal referral) has come,” she said. “The time for talking outside the Security Council is over,” Rice said. She added that, although China and Russia remain opposed to Security Council action against Iran, both consider its nuclear ambitions a “very serious issue.” U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton told CNN that “the Iranians have been very effective in using their oil and natural gas to persuade China, India and other countries to their side. We have to correct that” (Carol Giacomo, Reuters, Jan. 27). Iran, meanwhile, softened its support for the Russian proposal, AFP reported. “The Russian proposal is not sufficient for Iran’s nuclear energy needs,” top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani said today. Larijani added, however, that “one cannot say that it is a negative proposal.” “We had a round of talks over it and we will do the next round,” he said (Agence France-Presse II/Yahoo!News, Jan. 27). A top EU official said yesterday that the European Commission was “rather skeptical” about Tehran’s interest in the proposal, AFP reported. “As for the renewed interest in the Russian ideas which foresee uranium enrichment outside Iran, given its previous rejection, I think we are rather skeptical,” said External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferreo-Waldner. “It is difficult to believe that this is not just a delaying tactic,” she said (Agence France-Presse III, Jan. 26). IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei said yesterday he remained hopeful that the proposal could help resolve the situation, AFP reported. The Russian proposal could help Iran go through a “rehabilitation period” in which it would forgo uranium enrichment, ElBaradei said. “Iran needs to be assured that they can use nuclear power for electricity but the international community needs to be assured that the Iranian program is exclusively for peace purposes,” he said (Agence France-Presse III/IranMania.com, Jan. 26).
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