Dr. Akbar Etemad, the father of the Iranian nuclear program: The NPT was a bad deal for us

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Berliner Zeitung
March 31, 2006

Atomstreit: "Der Sperrvertrag war ein schlechter Handel"

Dr. Akbar Etemad: "The NPT was a bad deal for us"

By Martina Doering

Dr. Akbar Etemad, is one of the fathers of the Iranian nuclear program.

MARTINA DOERING: Why an oil producing country like Iran decided more than thirty years ago to produce nuclear energy?

DR. AKBAR ETEMAD: During the 1970's energy consumption in Iran began to rise enormously; about 8% per year. Due to that rapid rise in energy consumption in Iran, it became a goal for our program to cover at least 25% of the energy consumption with nuclear energy. We had a 30 to 40 year development plan to train technicians, build infrastructure, and power stations.

Also with rapid depletion of our oil reserves, it is more urgent for us to develop nuclear energy.

Since 1970's, Iran's daily oil production has sank to approximately 25%. In the meantime, the power requirement rises annually by about 8%. Meanwhile 60% of our oil production in consumed inside of Iran (Iran with a population of 70 million has one of the highest oil consumptions in the World). If no new oil field is found (which is not very likely), in less than 10 yeas, Iran will not be able to export any oil.

MARTINA DOERING: Iran held its nuclear actives secret and now there is suspicion it is building nuclear weapons?

DR. AKBAR ETEMAD: Until 2002 Iran kept some activities from the atomic energy authority in Vienna secret. However, since 2002 the Tehran government has cooperated with the agency in Vienna in an exemplary way. Iran has permitted inspections, supplied all of the demanded reports. For three years Iran has hide nothing from the agency. The IAEA director Mohammed El Baradei also reported that no evidence has been found that Iran is pursuing a military program.

MARTINA DOERING: How do you explain the continuous suspicion?

DR. AKBAR ETEMAD: The fact is that the west simply does not want Iran obtain nuclear technology, eventhough Iran has repeatedly stressed that its uranium enrichment is exclusively for civilian purposes. If Iran had reported its activities from the very beginning, the West would have tried to stop Iran to develop nuclear technology. I think Iran made the correct decision.

MARTINA DOERING: Could Iran build now nuclear weapons?

DR. AKBAR ETEMAD: Yes, naturally Iran could do that. But Iran has a right to the nuclear technology as a member of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT). It is not acceptable that this right is refused to Iran.

MARTINA DOERING: Why?

DR. AKBAR ETEMAD: Why should Iran do without nuclear technology? Western states and also countries in other regions have them too. If nuclear technology is good for you to have, then it is it also our right to have it. That is a rational point of view.

MARTINA DOERING: They say you were opposed to the entry of Iran into the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT)?

DR. AKBAR ETEMAD: The contract (NPT) was from the outset a bad trade. The nuclear-armed states protected their own nuclear weapons, and yet made it illegal for others to obtain them. They also put a very strict control on non-nuclear weapons states.

The deal was connected with a vague appeal to the nuclear-armed states to continue the disarmament negotiations - but without any obligations, and without any controls. Now, after 35 years we know realize the fact that the nuclear-armed states do not want to disarm, and even worse they are building more advanced and improved nuclear weapons.

And I do not have any doubt that the nuclear powers will never provide their nuclear technology to non-nuclear weapon states willingly, although they are obligated to so under the NPT.

My position has been confirmed. India did not join the NPT, and it developed nuclear technology and nuclear weapons - yet it was not punished for it. However, Iran has signed the NPT, and has not manufactured any nuclear weapons - but the West is refusing to transfer nuclear technology to Iran, and Iran's legal rights to develop nuclear technology is denied by the West, although they agreed to transfer nuclear technology, when they sighed the NPT.

The NPT is an instrument, in order to establish an apartheid regime between the nations. Therefore I always was against the NPT.

MARTINA DOERING: Dr. Etemad, these are astonishing expressions for a man, who was a Minister of the late Shah, went to the exile after the Iranian Revolution of 1979, and now lives in Paris.

DR. AKBAR ETEMAD: I am Iranian. Even if I do not agree, which takes place there in areas relating to domestic affairs - I remain Iranian. The possession of this technology is completely independent the regime question who or which kind of regime governs Iran.

The West justifies its fear of the Iranian atom bomb with the fact that the Mullah regime is not democratic, or rational. Why is Iran considered riskier than Pakistan - which has the bomb? Is Pakistan democratic? Is president [dictator] Musharraf more rational? What happens, if the there is a military coup there?

MARTINA DOERING: Were the efforts of the Europeans inevitably doomed to failure around a solution?

DR. AKBAR ETEMAD: The Europeans blocked the transfer of nuclear technology to Iran, although there was contracts with them. They quit cooperation on one side, did not fulfill those contracts. And now they come, and want to sign new contracts with Iran? They are not reliable.

MARTINA DOERING: Why doesn't Iran refer the material from the French uranium enrichment plant Eurodif, at which Iran possesses 10% of the shares?

DR. AKBAR ETEMAD: The late Shah's government bought these shares in the middle of the 70's and invested money in Eurodif. Thus the Iran has the right to receive enriched uranium from Eurodif to. The French however say, the Iranians should buy enriched uranium from Russia. That is quite outrageous, in view of the fact that Iran possesses Eurodif shares. Besides, a country such as Iran cannot make itself dependent in such a important matter on the grace of others.

MARTINA DOERING: How can the crisis be settled?

DR. AKBAR ETEMAD: The USA and Iran must speak with one another. They are the most influential powers in the region. They are also with one another in Afghanistan, and Iraq. Iran has agreed to talk with the USA about Iraq. That is a good beginning.

http://www.persiancultural.org/page.lasso?id=97&file=news/oxford_pictures.html
Dr. Etemad in 2004
http://www.aeoi.org.ir/newweb/public%20relation%5Cashenaee%20ba%20sazman%5Cdastavard_en.htm
Dr. Etemad was the president of AEOI from 1974-1979

* Martina Doering was born in 1954 in Saxonia-Anhalt.She studied Africa and Middle East history at the Karl Marx university in Leipzig. Since 1989 she has been with the Berlin newspaper, writing about foreign news, specially about the Middle East. Karl Liebknecht STR. 29 10178 Berlin
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