IAEA: Iran Is Cooperating
By Justin Gardner | Related entries in Iran, Science, Technology, The World, United States, WarThe war drums just started getting a little quieter.
In a report sure to further complicate the U.S.-led drive for additional sanctions against Iran, the atomic watchdog agency of the United Nations has given Iran relatively good marks for its recent cooperation in clearing up suspicions over past nuclear work. [...]The IAEA said it had been “able to verify the non-diversion of declared nuclear material in Iran.” However, the agency warned that its understanding of Iran’s current nuclear operations “is diminishing” because of Tehran’s earlier decision not to follow a separate IAEA protocol that would permit more extensive inspections.
Good? Well, sure, but they’ve some ways to go…
The Vienna-based agency also termed Iran’s cooperation “reactive rather than proactive” and said the probe of Tehran’s once secret nuclear history would continue. Also worrisome: Media reports suggest that Tehran recently denied IAEA requests to interview at least two Iranians about their nuclear work. That raises concern within the Bush administration that IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei, who has suggested that it is unrealistic to bar Iran from uranium enrichment, is too eager to put a positive spin on Iran’s cooperation.
Hmm, ElBaradei wants to put a positive spin on Iran’s cooperation…sounds quite similar to what Bush and company said about Hans Blix, doesn’t it?
People, if they’re cooperating, they’re cooperating. It seems that when Bush wants to get nuanced, he’ll get nuanced, especially when it comes to preemption. But in case he doesn’t realize, virtually nobody trusts him with the finer points of diplomacy.
Overall, I think this is good news, but I guess we’ll see what comes of it. More war talk? Less? What do you think?
This entry was posted on Friday, November 16th, 2007 and is filed under Iran, Science, Technology, The World, United States, War. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
November 16th, 2007 at 12:33 pm
Great job. I also recommend the analysis of the IAEA Iran report at IranAffairs.com
November 16th, 2007 at 4:21 pm
The war drums just started getting a little quieter, my ass! Since when has Cheney let the facts get in the way of war propaganda? Never. As I recall, I seem to remember Bush bring up the spector of WW III recently, since the preliminary IAEA report was released. Meanwhile, our military interrogators are being pressured to come up with confessions from captured insurgents about Iranian weapons being smuggled & used in Iraq.
It does appear that Gates & Rice have been backing off. Perhaps they wish not face trial for war crimes.
November 18th, 2007 at 5:45 pm
More like the IAEA is cooperating with Iran. Iran has increased its capacity enriching uranium, which they are not supposed to do at all, I don’t know if you noticed. All the IAEA is doing is searching for loopholes in their own policy so that Iran can jump through them and avoid any legal obfuscation.
Cross our fingers, close our eyes and pray they are bluffing. Sounds like a good foreign policy to me.
November 25th, 2007 at 10:20 am
titvicorocezy…
excyhoxusucu…