Still No Proof of Weapons in Iran
Traces of bomb-grade uranium found two years ago in Iran came from contaminated Pakistani equipment and are not evidence of a clandestine nuclear weapons program, a group of U.S. government experts and other international scientists has determined.
“The biggest smoking gun that everyone was waving is now eliminated with these conclusions,” said a senior official who discussed the still-confidential findings on the condition of anonymity.
Scientists from the United States, France, Japan, Britain and Russia met in secret during the past nine months to pore over data collected by inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency, according to U.S. and foreign officials. Recently, the group, whose existence had not been previously reported, definitively matched samples of the highly enriched uranium — a key ingredient for a nuclear weapon — with centrifuge equipment turned over by the government of Pakistan.
Iran has long contended that the uranium traces were the result of contaminated equipment bought years ago from Pakistan. But the Bush administration had pointed to the material as evidence that Iran was making bomb-grade ingredients.
So, some of the mud slung at Iran has proved to be bullshit, but will this report get as much press as the original allegations? It would be interesting to see if Bush will in time comment on the report once it becomes official, I suspect he will disregard it, perhaps with something along the lines of: ‘Well, the report is irrelevant really, it does not deter us from completing our mission “Operation Iranian Freedom”‘.
The negotiations between the European three (UK, Germany, France) and Iran seem to be at a critical point, and Iran should view this vindication as another reason why they should be allowed to pursue nuclear power, as is there legal right. This is further backed-up by the IAEA board, which in its third year of an investigation in Iran, has still not found any proof of a weapons program. Let us not forget that:
The IAEA had put together the group of experts in an effort to foster cooperation but also to eliminate the possibility that its findings would be challenged by the White House, officials said. In the run-up to the Iraq invasion in March 2003, the White House rejected IAEA findings that cast doubt on U.S. assertions about then-Iraqi President Saddam Hussein’s arsenal. The IAEA findings turned out to be correct, and no weapons of mass destruction have been found in Iraq.
Read the full article from the Washington Post here…
August 24th, 2005 at 8:23 am
[...] Now that talks have finally broken down, something that was inevitable given that Europe was essentially trying to deny Iran basic rights over nuclear development, calls have once again been made to report Iran to the UN security council. However, the UN have again supported Iranian claims that Uranium was brought to, not made in Iraq, and that the report due to be issued soon by the IAEA would also support Iranian claims that a weapons program simply does not exist, as they have yet to find any evidence of it. [...]
August 25th, 2005 at 11:35 pm
[...] This response serves to add to the already tense situation, with diplomats already uncertain as how to proceed following the revelations that traces of bomb-grade uranium found two years ago in Iran came from contaminated Pakistani equipment and are not evidence of a clandestine nuclear weapons program. • • • [...]