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U.N. to halve Iran nuclear aid

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published February 10, 2007

TEHRAN, Iran - The U.N. nuclear agency signaled Friday that it is preparing to cancel technical aid on nearly half its nuclear cooperation projects with Iran, a significant step toward implementing sanctions aimed at halting the nation's controversial uranium enrichment program.

In a report to the International Atomic Energy Agency's board of governors in Vienna, the agency leadership recommended halting all assistance on projects that could contribute to enrichment and reprocessing work prohibited under a sanctions resolution adopted by the U.N. Security Council in December.

The cuts, expected to be approved by the agency's board of directors in March, end all technical aid for "safe and reliable nuclear power generation," for strategic planning and for a nuclear technology center under development. They leave intact assistance for medicine development, radioactive waste disposal, wastewater treatment and agriculture.

They do not affect the agency's assistance on preparation to operate the civilian nuclear power reactor under construction at Bushehr, which is exempted from the U.N. resolution.

"No technical assistance ... can be provided to Iran that relates to the proliferation sensitive nuclear activities specified in the resolution," said the report, prepared by IAEA director Mohammed ElBaradei. "Technical assistance, however, can be provided to Iran when after a case-by-case screening it is found to be in conformity with the provisions of the resolution."

In Vienna, Iran's ambassador to the IAEA, Ali Ashgar Soltanieh, criticized the agency's decision.

"Our cooperation with the IAEA was in agriculture, medicine and peaceful affairs. So why was this halt imposed to our peaceful cooperation, as well?" he told the Islamic Republic News Agency. He said the "technical and legal paradox" in the Security Council resolution "has prompted the IAEA to take this decision."

In all, the agency proposes to withdraw cooperation on up to four of 15 national projects and as many as 14 out of 34 regional projects, though a small number of these may be permitted after a case-by-case review.

Analysts said the IAEA action likely will not have a significant influence on Iran's nuclear program, but likely will be perceived as a blow nonetheless. Iran is one of the largest recipients of U.N. nuclear technical cooperation in the world.

"Iran will complain and say none of these projects are for enrichment or reprocessing, the sensitive technologies that were singled out in the resolution. But the agency is being careful to follow the letter of the Security Council resolution," said Mark Fitzpatrick, a nuclear specialist with the International Institute of Strategic Studies in London.

He said Iran, apparently caught by surprise by the Security Council's unanimous vote in favor of the sanctions resolution in December, has sought to downplay its potential effect.

"They've been saying it wouldn't amount to anything. Well, here we have an indication that the IAEA says it does amount to something. Here's some projects that have to be stopped," he said. "It will contribute to the psychological discomfort of Iran."

[Last modified February 10, 2007, 02:00:19]