Reuters: Iran wants senior atom inspector out

[Eugene]

Iran wants senior atom inspector out

By Mark Heinrich

43 minutes ago

VIENNA (Reuters) - Iran, cranking up a war of nerves with the West, has demanded the
removal of the official running U.N. nuclear inspections, diplomats said on Friday.

Warning of a spiral toward conflict, the head of the U.N. atomic agency called on Iran and
the West to declare a "timeout" under which Iranian nuclear work and U.N. sanctions would
be suspended simultaneously.

Tehran's move, following a ban on 38 inspectors from four major Western nations announced
on Monday, appeared aimed at testing Western resolve over its disputed nuclear activity
while stopping short of violating the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

-snip-

An Iranian diplomat quoted by the official news agency IRNA accused the International Atomic
Energy Agency's Iran section head of passing on confidential information about Iranian nuclear
sites to nations arrayed against Tehran.

-snip-

Full article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070126/wl_nm/iran_nuclear_dc

(Reuters)

U.S. calls Iran demands over inspectors "outrageous"

By Sue Pleming

47 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Friday called "outrageous" Iran's demand for
the ouster of a U.N. official in charge of nuclear inspections and said a plan by Tehran to
speed up nuclear research was a big mistake.

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack accused Tehran of "inspector shopping" after
it banned 38 U.N. inspectors this week from four major Western nations and then said the
head of the U.N.'s inspection team, a Belgian, must be removed too.

"It's outrageous," McCormack told reporters. "They are trying to dictate again to international
bodies what those international bodies can and can't do in the form of who they are going to
send to inspect them."

"The tone of those kinds of actions are indicative of their continued defiance. This is not
what the international community is looking for," he added.

-snip-

Full article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070126/ts_nm/nuclear_iran_usa_dc_1

Related: Iran says no state accepts IAEA inspectors' unprofessional acts - IRNA

[Kagemusha]

1. Hey, it's not as if there's a precedent for spying through UN inspectors.

That never happened in Iraq at all, ever. :sarcasm:

[iconoclastic cat]

2. It's like there's a script or something! Sheesh...nt

[Tempest]

3. Bush's response is hilarious

Considering how hard he tried to get rid of El Baradei, the UN nuclear head.

If nothing else, the Bushies are hypocrites.

[Buzz Clik]

4. If anyone is going to kick UN inspectors out of Iran, it will be Bush!