U.S. Gives Iran Until March To Cooperate With IAEA

[Purveyor]

Source: Reuters

By Fredrik Dahl
VIENNA | Thu Nov 29, 2012 1:39pm EST

(Reuters) - The United States set a March deadline on Thursday for Iran to start cooperating in substance with a U.N. nuclear agency investigation, warning Tehran the issue may otherwise be referred to the U.N. Security Council.

The comments by U.S. diplomat Robert Wood to the board of the International Atomic Energy Agency signaled Washington's growing frustration at a lack of progress in the IAEA's inquiry into possible military dimensions to Tehran's nuclear program.

Iran - which was first reported to the U.N. Security Council over its nuclear program by the IAEA's 35-nation board in 2006 and then was hit by U.N. sanctions - rejects suspicions it is on a covert quest for atomic bomb capability.

But its refusal to curb nuclear work with both civilian and military applications, and its lack of openness with the IAEA, have drawn tough Western punitive measures and a threat of pre-emptive military strikes by Israel.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/29/us-nuclear-iran-usa-idUSBRE8AS0VS20121129

[Comrade Grumpy]

1. I[m sorry, but the US should just fuck off on this.

If Israel want to attack Iran, let them do it and live with the consequences.

[joshcryer]

5. Oh yeah, fuck anti-proliferation.

[Socal31]

14. People have become way too comfortable with the nuclear "Genie."

I was born in the early 80s and to this day I am fascinated by our ability to wipe ourselves out.

Why anyone would be OK with yet another nation acquiring such nasty weapons is beyond me.

A better idea would be to have Israel give up theirs if Iran does the same. Israel is already under our "umbrella", so they do not need their own anyway.

[joshcryer]

15. The US did nuclear arms loaning for a time, it'd work here.

Basically you say "Hey, Israel, Iran, we'll nuke shit for you." Both agree. Poof, no nuclear arms race. Of course, that requires Iran to be considered an ally, and unfortunately the US will never have that position on Iran.

[leveymg]

2. March deadline also set by EU on decision whether to directly arm Syrian opposition. Convergence.

It's like March 2003, all over again, but a much, much worse set of wars is threatened a decade later.

[tonybgood]

3. This has been building since the 50's.

We've done everything we can to control Iran since we overthrew an elected government and installed the Shah almost 60 years ago. They don't trust us, we don't trust them. I don't think the US can destroy Iran's nuclear project without deploying nukes to destroy their centrifuges. Without some kind of negotiated settlement, next year could get very ugly very quickly.

[joshcryer]

4. The difference is that Saddam wanted the inspectors.

He allowed them to stay.

Bush was the one who told them to leave.

[Prometheus Bound]

6. The IAEA carries out regular inspections of 16 declared nuclear facilities in Iran

It's been doing that for years. Including the underground enrichment plants. No country on earth has been inspected as rigorously as Iran has.

[joshcryer]

9. The article says they've been trying since Jan.

I don't buy that they've had the access you state. Their last report on Iran was very worrisome.

[Prometheus Bound]

11. You must not be interested then.

The information is available at your fingertips.

[joshcryer]

12. Hmm, it seems rather than restrict access, they're just ignoring IAEA demands.

http://www.iaea.org/Publications/Documents/Board/2012/gov2012-55.pdf

My apologies. They appear to be letting IAEA come around, and are just ignoring them. They've been trying to get Iran to suspend their enrichment activities and Iran continues to flaunt it.

[bemildred]

7. Or what?

Making empty threats is not good diplomacy.

[Prometheus Bound]

8. Or it "may" be referred to the U.N. Security Council.

In which case there "may" be a resolution that Iran "should" make greater efforts to cooperate with the IAEA

Which will never happen. IAEA inspectors want to talk to certain scientists. Iran believe this is just a ploy to get their names, after which they will be murdered. Since this has already happened, it would be pretty irresponsible for Iran to expose these scientists.

[joshcryer]

10. The attacks against scientists are MEK sponsered by Mossad.

MEK and NRCI are ardently against Iran's nuclear program because they know if Iran succeeds any type of resistance will be futile. In which case their alliance with Mossad is understandable. The CIA has also been assisting MEK in their endeavors. Since blowing the whistle on Iran's resurging nuclear program they were removed from our terrorist watch list. Kind of ironic how "resisters" / "terrorists" are interchangeable depending on ones use for them.

MEK likely knows who the scientists are and are biding their time. I don't think that the IAEA is responsible, and I think if Iran was serious they could assure that the scientists' identities were protected.

[trouble.smith]

13. We'll give them till July.