QUARREL OVER IRAN NUKES ESCALATES - 6. OCT 2005 After several...

QUARREL OVER IRAN NUKES ESCALATES - 6. OCT 2005


After several weeks of delay, the International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors has voted on a resolution calling for Iran to "come clean" on all aspects of its nuclear program. The vote is essentially an ultimatum that says unless Tehran opens up all of its nuclear facilities to inspection; the case will be brought before the UN Security Council, which could then impose economic sanctions.

Following the vote, Iran threatened to retaliate economically against countries that voted in favor of Security Council action. Twenty-two of the agency's thirty-five members voted for the resolution, including India, a move which came as a surprise to many. Iranian officials appear to be particularly angry over India’s vote. India has signed a $22 billion deal to import liquefied natural gas from Iran for 25 years, beginning in 2009, and is planning to build a gas pipeline that would cross India. It is possible that deal could be in jeopardy.

Iran has also threatened to resume sensitive nuclear activities, and bar United Nations inspectors from its nuclear sites. That is, unless the nuclear agency steps back from its resolution. The referral to the Security Council cannot take place until the board votes again at its next meeting in November. However Iran has already begun implementing legislation that would end its cooperation with the additional protocol of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, which allows UN inspectors to make short-notice visits to nuclear facilities.

Iran claims that under Article 4 of the Non-Proliferation Treaty they have the right to develop nuclear technology. Iran insists that it is pursuing nuclear technology for peaceful energy purposes, but that leads to the obvious question: why would a nation with immense oil and gas reserves need nuclear energy? Iran claims it is building costly nuclear fuel cycle facilities to meet future electricity needs, while preserving oil and gas for export, but Iran’s uranium reserves are miniscule, accounting for less than one percent of its vast oil reserves. Iran controls 11 percent of the world’s oil reserves and its natural gas reserves are the second largest in the world. Iran does not have enough indigenous uranium resources to fuel even one power-generating reactor over its lifetime, but it does have enough uranium to make several nuclear bombs.

Iran has openly admitted that it plans to convert 40 tons of raw uranium into fuel for nuclear centrifuges. That amount of enriched uranium would be enough material to create five nuclear weapons. Iran has said that it will continue its nuclear program in defiance of the IAEA and the United Nations. Iran also threatened to pull out of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty entirely and appears willing to risk international isolation. Iranian officials responded to the IAEA by saying that they will not allow any interference or interruption of their nuclear program and that they will not give up “at any price.”

Iran is one of the greatest threats to US security and a long-time supporter of terrorism. According to the US State Department: "The costly infrastructure needed to perform all of these activities goes well beyond any conceivable peaceful nuclear program. No comparable oil-rich nation has ever engaged, or would be engaged, in this set of activities - or would pursue them for nearly two decades behind a continuing cloud of secrecy and lies to IAEA inspectors and the international community - unless it was dead set on building nuclear weapons."