Iran fails to show up at IAEA meeting

WORLD / IAEA

 Iran fails to show up at IAEA meeting
(AP)
Updated: 2006-01-06 09:12

A defiant Iran rebuffed the head of the International Atomic Energy
Agency on Thursday, failing to show up for a meeting to discuss Tehran's
plans to move closer to uranium enrichment within days.

Diplomats close to the agency described the move as unusual and suggested
it was at least partly triggered by criticism of Tehran by agency head
Mohamed ElBaradei during a Wednesday meeting with Iranian envoys.

One of the diplomats said the Iranians appeared taken aback by the
firmness of ElBaradei's demands for more cooperation in his agency's
investigation of Tehran's nuclear activities. He, like others who spoke
to The Associated Press, spoke on condition of anonymity because the
meeting was private.

That, and the usually soft-spoken ElBaradei's clear opposition to Iran's
plans to resume work with some equipment used in enrichment �� a possible
pathway to nuclear arms, apparently contributed to Iran's no-show
Thursday, he said.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad waves to supporters during his
weekly trips, in the city of Qom, 125 km (77 miles) south of Tehran
January 5, 2006.[Reuters]
In Washington, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice signaled Thursday
that time was running out for Iran.

"When it's clear that negotiations are exhausted, we have the votes" to
take Iran before the Security Council for possible punishment, Rice told
reporters in Washington.

Iranian representatives already failed to meet ElBaradei's request
Wednesday for clarification of what they describe as plans to restart
research on, and development of, uranium enrichment. But Iran promised to
do so Thursday.

Iran says it is interested in enrichment to make nuclear fuel, but the
United States and an increasing number of other nations say Tehran wants
the technology to make weapons-grade uranium for nuclear warheads.

Tehran says it will not actually begin enrichment Monday. But even the
restart of equipment testing would be viewed as another move toward fully
reviving the program despite Tehran's pledge to fully freeze all its
aspects.

"The meeting never took place," said IAEA spokeswoman Melissa Fleming,
adding ElBaradei was "still seeking clarification" of what Tehran would
do.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Mohamed
ElBaradei is seen in Vienna, October 14, 2005. [Reuters/file]
But a diplomat accredited to the agency said the IAEA appeared resigned
to not getting the details it had asked for before Monday. He cited
ElBaradei as saying he did not expect the high-ranking Iranian delegation
to ask for a new appointment.

Agency officials said the delegation, led by Mohammad Saeedi, the deputy
head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, was en route to Tehran by
Thursday afternoon.

With senior Russian officials expected in the Iranian capital at the
weekend to discuss nuclear cooperation, Saeedi was unlikely to return
before the scheduled restart of work with enrichment equipment.

European powers had hoped that a briefing by IAEA officials would help
them determine whether to go ahead with planned talks with Iranian
officials in Vienna on Jan. 18 or to cancel them and have Tehran referred
to the Security Council.

That path was cleared late last year, when the 35-nation board of the
IAEA found Iran in noncompliance of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty
for keeping its uranium enrichment program secret for decades and
conducting other work that could be used for a nuclear weapons program.

The Europeans, with American backing, then decided to give diplomacy
another try in efforts to gain more international support for their
stance.

ElBaradei has repeatedly said his agency's nearly three-year probe of
Iran's nuclear activities has turned up no conclusive evidence of nuclear
weapons activities.

At the same time, he has been increasingly critical of delays and
conflicting information provided to his inspectors �� who in November
reported finding drawings in paperwork provided by the Iranians of what
appeared to be parts of nuclear warheads.

Iran's record on enrichment has added to international concern.

Tehran's decision in August to resume uranium conversion �� a precursor
to enrichment �� led the Europeans to break off talks on grounds that the
move violated Iran's freeze pledge.

The two sides nonetheless agreed last month to try to bridge differences
with the Europeans, hoping that the Iranians would accept a plan that
would move their nascent enrichment program to Russia �� in theory
depriving them of the ability to misuse it for weapons.

But hopes were dimmed by Tehran's steadfast refusal to consider giving up
the right to enrich domestically.

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