Nuclear board censures Iran

VIENNA, Austria -- The board of the International Atomic Energy Agency passed a resolution Saturday saying that Iran violated its nuclear treaty obligations by secretly developing a nuclear program. But in a sign of deep division, the agency delayed reporting the matter to the U.N. Security Council, as required by statute.

The resolution states that "the history of concealment of Iran's nuclear activities" had resulted in the "absence of confidence that Iran's nuclear program is exclusively for peaceful purposes." The United States has said Iran has ambitions to develop nuclear weapons, while Iran has said its program is strictly for generating energy.

"The international community is . . . not satisfied with the level of confidence-building measures Iran has so far taken," the IAEA's chief, Mohamed ElBaradei, said.

But in a rare display of disunity on the 35-member board, which traditionally passes resolutions unanimously, just 22 countries voted in favor of the measure. Twelve countries, including Russia, China, Pakistan, South Africa and Brazil, abstained. One country, Venezuela, opposed it.

Disagreement on the board had forced the European Union and the United States to retreat from their initial demand that Iran be reported immediately to the Security Council, a move that could trigger international sanctions. Instead, the resolution obligates the board to report Iran to the council but leaves open the issue of when.

The vote came after weeks of intense lobbying and a day of frantic, last-minute bargaining that ultimately failed to achieve consensus, illustrating the strength of Iran's evolving alliances, diplomats and analysts said. U.S. and EU efforts paid off, however, by persuading Russia and China not to vote against the measure, while India changed its early opposition and supported it.

"Iran's activities, its pattern of deception and its confrontational approach are of great concern to the world community," U.S. Ambassador Greg Schulte told reporters after the vote. "We are concerned that these activities pose an increasing threat to international peace and security."

The head of the Iranian delegation, Javad Vaeidi, told reporters that the divided vote demonstrated that the resolution had the backing only of Western countries and was "politically motivated." In a statement to the board, he said Iran was "prepared" to work with the atomic agency to build confidence and increase transparency. But if Iran is reported to the Security Council, Vaeidi added, "we will have no alternative to pursue and preserve our rights."

The resolution adopted Saturday declared that Iran was in "noncompliance" with obligations to the Non-Proliferation Treaty that required it to report its nuclear program, which was developed in secret over 18 years and was exposed about two years ago.

The decision to delay a decision on referring Iran to the council sets the stage for weeks or even months of wrangling among Iran, the EU and the United States as they try to woo countries into their respective positions.

Whatever the final outcome, the events this week in Vienna illustrate Iran's diplomatic transformation over the last few years.

Once widely considered a pariah state, Iran undertook an aggressive international charm offensive in recent years to win back allies, expand its network of trade partners and boost its influence abroad. The outreach program, initiated by former president Mohammad Khatami, paid off for Iran in Vienna by preventing its immediate referral to the Security Council.

"Khatami fundamentally changed Iran's foreign policy" by repairing relations with many countries, said Ray Takeyh, a Middle East analyst at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. Khatami led Iran out of its isolation, Takeyh said, and "history will look back and recognize his accomplishments as momentous."

However, the new Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was elected this summer, took a more defiant tone on the issue, which did not help his case this week, diplomats indicated.

Iran's reorientation of diplomatic and trade ties, particularly with Russia, China and India, gave Iran important allies in Vienna and could continue to payoff at the United Nations, where Russia and China both wield vetoes on the Security Council, analysts said.

Copyright C 2005 Deseret News Publishing Co.
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.