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Diplomats: Iran Got Nuke Know-How in '80s

ABC | February 27 2005

By the late 1980s, members of a black market network had handed Iran all the basic knowledge the Middle Eastern country needed to set up technology that can be used to make atomic weapons, diplomats familiar with an investigation of Iran's nuclear ambitions said Sunday.

The officials, who are familiar with the work of the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency, spoke to The Associated Press on the eve of a board meeting of the U.N. nuclear watchdog that will discuss Iran and other potential world nuclear concerns.

An agency probe over the past two years had earlier established that Iran ran a clandestine nuclear program for nearly two decades, including working on uranium enrichment which can be used to make weapons.

Diplomats, who requested anonymity, said Saturday that the new revelations were significant because they indicated Iran had full possession of enrichment know-how from the black market network run by Abdul Qadeer Khan, the father of Pakistan's atomic bomb, earlier than previously believed.

On Sunday, the diplomats said that Iran turned over to the IAEA the initial written information provided by the Khan network as part of the country's cooperation with an agency probe of its suspect nuclear activities.

One of the diplomats said that the information may be used by the United States as it considers reviving attempts to have Iran's nuclear dossier forwarded to the U.N. Security Council. But he said other countries were unlikely to go along because the new information was far from the "smoking gun" they sought to back American assertions that Tehran was covertly seeking nuclear weapons capacity.

Nuclear concerns over Iran focus on its enrichment program because that can be used to process uranium for two purposes as fuel for power generation or as the core of warheads. Iran insists its nuclear aims are peaceful, while the United States and its key allies say Tehran is interested in making weapons.

France, Britain and Germany are trying to secure an Iranian commitment to scrap enrichment plans in exchange for economic aid, technical support and backing for Tehran's efforts to join mainstream international organizations. Iran has suspended enrichment-related activities during talks with the Europeans but insists the freeze will be brief.

Both sides have described the talks as difficult. Hassan Rowhani, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, accused the Europeans in a French newspaper interview published Friday of being "incapable of keeping their promises."

President Bush has expressed support for the European efforts. And State Department nonproliferation officials grudgingly accepted a decision by IAEA head Mohamed ElBaradei not to publish a written report on the probe of Iran's nuclear activities for the first time in two years of board meetings because of lack of major new findings.

Still, there was evidence before the IAEA board meeting Monday of an American effort to increase pressure on Tehran by the next agency board meeting in June, should the French, German and British talks fail.

A confidential position paper being circulated by the Americans to the other board members and shared in part with the AP called for a new written report on Iran by the June meeting. Furthermore, it urged the June board meeting to "take further action if needed" against Iran in effect a demand that Tehran be hauled before the U.N. Security Council if there is any indication it was defying the agency board on nuclear matters.

A separate, restricted U.S. document outlined the need for a "Special Committee" to deal with nations violating the Nonproliferation Treaty which Washington says Iran has done. Such a committee could "make recommendations to the board" to report suspect nations to the Security Council nations, said the document, leaked to the AP.

European diplomats representing IAEA board members said the U.S. efforts were hurting the three-nation negotiations with Iran.

"Mr. Bush … promises support of the European effort, while the board is presented with such papers a case of very unfortunate timing," said one senior European diplomat.

Another European diplomat criticized the U.S. position paper for suggesting Iran was not negotiating in good faith with France, Germany and Britain, saying "that is not for the U.S. but for the Europeans to decide."

 

 

 

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