Iran backs off threat to quit nuclear treaty
Tehran accuses U.S. of 'heavy' tactics
VIENNA Iran made it clear Monday it would not withdraw from an international treaty intended to halt the spread of nuclear weapons, but it accused the United States of strong-arming other nations into setting a deadline for Tehran to clarify its nuclear situation.
.
The Iranian president, Muhammad Khatami, said that his country had no intention of building nuclear bombs, but that it was determined to continue its policy of developing nuclear energy.
.
"We don't need atomic bombs, and based on our religious teaching we will not pursue them," Khatami said in a speech in Tehran.
.
"But at the same time we want to be strong, and being strong means having knowledge and technology."
.
Over the past weeks, Iran had suggested that it might sever its ties with the International Atomic Energy Agency if pressured too hard to increase access to its nuclear programs.
.
Those threats increased after the agency's board of governors adopted a U.S.-backed resolution Friday setting an October deadline for Iran to essentially disprove it is running a covert nuclear weapons program.
.
The board will decide in November whether Iran has met that demand. If it rules Tehran in violation of the treaty banning the spread of nuclear weapons it will ask the UN Security Council to get involved.
.
The Iranian vice president, Gholamreza Aghazadeh, accused "partisan politics in the United States" of being behind the "heavy-handed" resolution accepted by the board.
.
But he said his country remained "fully committed" to preventing the proliferation of nuclear arms.
.
Iran's "cooperation" with the agency "shall continue as before," Aghazadeh told the IAEA's general assembly. He also said Iran would start "negotiations with the agency about the additional protocol," that would allow the IAEA thorough and unfettered inspections of all of its nuclear activities.
.
During negotiations that led to passage of a resolution setting the October deadline by the IAEA board, Iran had suggested that it would scrap plans to accept that protocol.
.
Although Aghazadeh's statements eased immediate concerns that Iran would cut ties with the agency, the Iranian vice president suggested his country still could turn more hard-line. He said that a final response was still being discussed by his government.
.
"We are studying the resolution carefully and will respond to it officially in a few days," he told delegates at the 135-nation conference.
.
Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham, heading the U.S. delegation, welcomed Iran's decision to remain within the agency fold - at least for now.
.
"I hope it represents a decision to fully comply" with the resolution, he told reporters, describing Iran's statement as a "more hopeful comment" than previous threats out of Tehran.
.
The onus was on Iran to prove the world wrong, he suggested because "all of the pattern of action and conduct we've seen is totally understandable," only in the context of a weapons program. If unchecked, Iran could go the way of North Korea, which used its IAEA membership to gain access to nuclear technology only to quit the Nonproliferation Treaty and declare it was making atomic arms, he said.
.
"One cannot let that precedent be repeated," Abraham said.
.
The agency, nuclear watchdog of the United Nations, seeks to ensure compliance with the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, which aims to ban the spread of nuclear weapons. It monitors the status of nuclear materials in dozens of countries and promotes the peaceful use of nuclear technology.
.
Abraham told delegates attempts to stop the spread of nuclear weapons were challenged by "a few rogue states seeking the capacity to attain weapons of mass destruction."
.
Indirectly linking North Korea and Iran, he urged IAEA member states to "take firm and necessary action" to stop new nuclear weapons states from emerging.(AP, Reuters) Tehran accuses U.S. of 'heavy' tactics
VIENNA Iran made it clear Monday it would not withdraw from an international treaty intended to halt the spread of nuclear weapons, but it accused the United States of strong-arming other nations into setting a deadline for Tehran to clarify its nuclear situation.
.
The Iranian president, Muhammad Khatami, said that his country had no intention of building nuclear bombs, but that it was determined to continue its policy of developing nuclear energy.
.
"We don't need atomic bombs, and based on our religious teaching we will not pursue them," Khatami said in a speech in Tehran.
"But at the same time we want to be strong, and being strong means having knowledge and technology."
.
Over the past weeks, Iran had suggested that it might sever its ties with the International Atomic Energy Agency if pressured too hard to increase access to its nuclear programs.
.
Those threats increased after the agency's board of governors adopted a U.S.-backed resolution Friday setting an October deadline for Iran to essentially disprove it is running a covert nuclear weapons program.
.
The board will decide in November whether Iran has met that demand. If it rules Tehran in violation of the treaty banning the spread of nuclear weapons it will ask the UN Security Council to get involved.
.
The Iranian vice president, Gholamreza Aghazadeh, accused "partisan politics in the United States" of being behind the "heavy-handed" resolution accepted by the board.
.
But he said his country remained "fully committed" to preventing the proliferation of nuclear arms.
.
Iran's "cooperation" with the agency "shall continue as before," Aghazadeh told the IAEA's general assembly. He also said Iran would start "negotiations with the agency about the additional protocol," that would allow the IAEA thorough and unfettered inspections of all of its nuclear activities.
.
During negotiations that led to passage of a resolution setting the October deadline by the IAEA board, Iran had suggested that it would scrap plans to accept that protocol.
.
Although Aghazadeh's statements eased immediate concerns that Iran would cut ties with the agency, the Iranian vice president suggested his country still could turn more hard-line. He said that a final response was still being discussed by his government.
.
"We are studying the resolution carefully and will respond to it officially in a few days," he told delegates at the 135-nation conference.
.
Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham, heading the U.S. delegation, welcomed Iran's decision to remain within the agency fold - at least for now.
.
"I hope it represents a decision to fully comply" with the resolution, he told reporters, describing Iran's statement as a "more hopeful comment" than previous threats out of Tehran.
.
The onus was on Iran to prove the world wrong, he suggested because "all of the pattern of action and conduct we've seen is totally understandable," only in the context of a weapons program. If unchecked, Iran could go the way of North Korea, which used its IAEA membership to gain access to nuclear technology only to quit the Nonproliferation Treaty and declare it was making atomic arms, he said.
.
"One cannot let that precedent be repeated," Abraham said.
.
The agency, nuclear watchdog of the United Nations, seeks to ensure compliance with the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, which aims to ban the spread of nuclear weapons. It monitors the status of nuclear materials in dozens of countries and promotes the peaceful use of nuclear technology.
.
Abraham told delegates attempts to stop the spread of nuclear weapons were challenged by "a few rogue states seeking the capacity to attain weapons of mass destruction."
.
Indirectly linking North Korea and Iran, he urged IAEA member states to "take firm and necessary action" to stop new nuclear weapons states from emerging.(AP, Reuters)
http://www.iht.com/articles/110062.html