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Former IAEA Official Warns of Damage to Agency’s Credibility if Iran’s Nuclear Activities Are Not Curtailed By Marina Malenic WASHINGTON — Former International Atomic Energy Agency Deputy Director General Pierre Goldschmidt warned yesterday that failure by the agency to further press Iran into full disclosure of its nuclear activities could undermine the international nonproliferation regime (see GSN, Nov. 7). “Iran appears to have two priorities,” Goldschmidt said. “Avoiding [U.N.] Security Council referral and avoiding interruption of its uranium work.” Speaking at the Carnegie International Nonproliferation Conference, Goldschmidt said Iran should be reported to the U.N. Security Council for its continued violation of IAEA safeguards. However, he said the purpose of referral should not be implementation of sanctions, but rather invoking the greater Security Council’s authority to press Iran into fully disclosing its nuclear activities. He added that Iran must ratify the Additional Protocol to its IAEA safeguards agreement, granting inspectors complete access to its nuclear installations, and agree in writing to immediately halt all uranium enrichment-related activities. The IAEA board’s failure to pursue Security Council referral would considerably weaken its authority as well as the global nonproliferation regime, Goldschmidt said. That failure, he added, would invite illicit nuclear proliferation by other countries. In return for making the required concessions, Iran should be provided with nuclear fuel and technology whose value would outweigh pursuit of an indigenous atomic program, according to Goldschmidt. In addition, he said, the United States must be directly involved in any diplomatic effort to resolve the issue.
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