[Independent] ElBaradei 'loses patience' as Iran breaks UN nuclear seals

[MGGPillai]

The Independent, London

ElBaradei 'loses patience' as Iran breaks UN seals at nuclear
research centres
By Daniel Howden
Published: 09 January 2006

Iran was preparing to remove United Nations seals at several nuclear
research and development sites last night, despite warnings from the
UN nuclear chief, Mohamed ElBaradei, that the international community
was running out of patience with Tehran.

It would be the second time in five months that Iran, which insists
its nuclear programme is peaceful, removed seals put in place by the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

"We will remove the seals and we have announced that we are ready to
start research from tomorrow," a foreign ministry spokesman, Hamid
Reza Asefi, said yesterday. "It depends on the IAEA to announce its
readiness as this will take place under the agency's supervision," he
added.

However, Mr ElBaradei, the head of the IAEA, disputed Tehran's
assertion that 90 per cent of issues related to the resumption of
research had been solved.

"I am running out of patience, the international community is running
out patience, the credibility of the verification process is at stake
and I'd like - by March - which is when my next report is, to be able
to clarify these issues," he said.

"Everybody would like to see a regime by which the international
community is assured that the Iranian programme is exclusively for
peaceful purposes and there are still a number of issues we are
looking at.

"There is also a consensus that enrichment in ... Iran right now is a
matter of serious concern."

Uranium enrichment is the most sensitive part of the nuclear fuel
cycle since it can be used to produce bomb-grade material as well as
nuclear reactor fuel.

Iran has not publicly disclosed what activities it plans to resume
today. Diplomats and analysts say atomic research and development
could involve some laboratory tests of uranium enrichment and the
assembly of enrichment centrifuges.

"R&D activities will be under the IAEA's supervision and there is
nothing to be worried about," Mr Asefi said.

IAEA officials say an Iranian team failed to show up for talks in
Vienna last week to explain what activities Iran planned to resume.

Asked why the Iranian team flew back from Vienna without meeting the
IAEA, Javad Vaeedi, deputy head of Iran's Supreme National Security
Council, told state television: "Holding any meeting has to be based
on the attainment of an aim and a result. The cancellation of the
meeting in fact took place in this light."

Last Thursday, a high-ranking Iranian delegation rebuffed Mr
ElBaradei, reneging on a pledge to provide full details of its plans.

Russian officials continued talks in Iran about a proposal that the
two countries conduct uranium enrichment, a process that can produce
nuclear fuel for reactors or atomic weapons depending on the degree
of enrichment, on Russian soil.

© 2006 Independent News and Media Limited