NYT,pg1: Arms Inspectors Said to Seek Access to Iran Sites

[DeepModem Mom]

Arms Inspectors Said to Seek Access to Iran Sites
By WILLIAM J. BROAD, DAVID E. SANGER
and ELAINE SCIOLINO

Published: December 2, 2004


VIENNA, Dec. 1 -International inspectors are requesting access to two secret Iranian military sites where intelligence suggests that Tehran's Ministry of Defense may be working on atomic weapons, despite the agreement that Iran reached this week to suspend its production of enriched uranium, according to diplomats here.

The inspectors at the International Atomic Energy Agency base their suspicions on a mix of satellite photographs indicating the testing of high explosives and procurement records showing the purchase of equipment that can be used for enriching uranium, the diplomats said. Both are critical steps in the development of nuclear arms.

The suspicions were aired here as an Iranian opposition group was preparing to release what it called new information that Iran was secretly developing a nuclear-capable missile whose range is significantly greater than what the Iranians have publicly acknowledged to date.

Iran has insisted that its uranium enrichment program is entirely for civilian nuclear energy production, but the areas the I.A.E.A. wants to visit are all in secure military bases. Traditionally, such facilities are considered off limits to the agency, whose primary mandate is to monitor civilian nuclear programs, unless there is strong evidence of covert nuclear activity at the military sites. Weapons experts cautioned that the equipment purchases and other activities could have nonnuclear purposes....


http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/02/international/middleeast/02nuke.html

[Born Free]

1. yes, we need more information

it's a great way to prepare for another Iraq like situation

[GetTheRightVote]

2. so it begins again, stupid Repubs very stupid

[maddezmom]

3. reuters- UN Lacks Right to Inspect Sites in Iran -- Diplomats

VIENNA (Reuters) - Inspectors from the U.N. nuclear watchdog would like to visit a secret military site in Iran that an exile group said was a nuclear weapons site, but they lack the legal authority to go there, U.N. diplomats told Reuters.



Iran, which insists its nuclear program is solely for electricity generation, earlier this week escaped possible U.N. Security Council economic sanctions after agreeing to freeze all activities which could be used to make bomb-grade material.


The New York Times reported Thursday that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) believes satellite photographs show that high explosives are being tested and that procurement records show equipment has been bought that can be used for making bomb-grade uranium, citing unnamed diplomats.


The intelligence came from several sources, including nations that are members of the IAEA, the Times reported.

more: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=574&ncid=721&e=3&u=/nm/20041202/wl_nm/iran_nuclear_inspectors_dc