Iran spinning centrifuges - and half-truths

[unhappycamper]

Iran spinning centrifuges - and half-truths
By Gareth Porter
Sep 8, 2007


WASHINGTON - Iran's unexpected agreement with the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Mohamed ElBaradei, to resolve old issues surrounding its nuclear program in less than two months, and the fact that it has installed only two-thirds of the centrifuges previously announced, indicate that Tehran may be positioning itself for another bid for a diplomatic solution.

The IAEA report circulated to board members last week, which is still unpublished but has been leaked to the press, says only 2,000 centrifuges have been activated. In mid-2006 and again in January, Iranian officials had said they planned to have a 3,000-centrifuge cascade spinning by some time last spring.

Iran had told IAEA nuclear inspectors in April that more than 1,300 centrifuges were already in operation, but the pace has slackened since then. In an interview with Der Spiegel published on September 3, ElBaradei admitted that both technical difficulties and political considerations could have been factors in the shortfall. But he said, "My gut feeling tells me that Iran has responded positively to my repeated demands that it scale back the program."

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The administration of US President George W Bush is furious with ElBaradei for taking the steam out of its campaign of pressure on Iran. The IAEA report that Iran had made "a significant step forward" by agreeing to a work plan for addressing remaining nuclear issues by the end of the year makes it more difficult for the US administration to get support for ratcheting up pressure on Iran at a meeting of the IAEA next week.

Even worse for the administration, according to a report by Tom Olmstead in US News this week, the agreement "could well blunt any rapid moves at the Security Council for further sanctions".

The Washington Post, which has been vocal in support of the administration's aggressive policy toward Iran, attacked ElBaradei on Wednesday in an editorial for using his agency to "thwart" US policy. The Post accused him of refusing to "carry out the policy of the Security Council or the IAEA board" and acting "as if he were independent of them ..."


Rest of article at: http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/II08Ak02.html