Too Soon for Sanctions: IAEA should stay the course on Iran
Nov 19, 2003
News from the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation For immediate release - Wednesday, November 19, 2003 Contact: Molly Pickett, 202 546-0795 ext.119
The Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation today urged the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to promote continued negotiations with Iran rather than referring the matter to the United Nations Security Council at this time. The Governors will convene on November 20 and 21 to discuss Iran’s compliance with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the Agency’s September 12 resolution calling for Tehran to come clean concerning its nuclear weapons ambitions.
The Bush Administration and some Members of Congress advocate “appropriate action” by the IAEA, but are openly encouraging Security Council involvement and the use of diplomatic and economic sanctions. Although an IAEA report released last week reveals two decades of significant effort by Iran to conceal its nuclear activity, including a uranium enrichment program, it does not declare that there is solid evidence of a nuclear weapons program. The report acknowledges that it will take substantial time to determine whether Iran’s nuclear program is exclusively for peaceful purposes. A dossier provided by Iran on October 21 is a first step, though questions remain about the thoroughness of the document.
Indications of Iran’s willingness to comply with international demands include the dossier and its decision during negotiations with European diplomats to suspend uranium enrichment activities and sign the Additional Protocol - which will allow for stringent inspections of any site within the country.
“At this point there is still reason to hope that Iran will cooperate and thereby integrate itself in the international community,” said Molly Pickett of the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation. “Giving up on negotiations and sending the issue to the Security Council could be disastrously counter-productive. Tehran could decide to halt cooperation and move forward with nuclear weapons,” Pickett said.
The situation in Iran is one of the only crises currently facing the Bush Administration in which international cooperation has had significant impact. Iran is feeling intense pressure from the outside and also from the inside as its own public seeks democratic reforms. The Bush Administration must allow the IAEA time to investigate further the full extent of Iran’s nuclear activities and to hold Iran to its promises before pushing Security Council measures.
“Iran has clearly not been a model NPT member, but the current situation could ultimately be a boost to the nonproliferation regime if handled carefully. Countries around the world that may have nuclear ambitions are watching what is happening in Iran, Iraq and North Korea. It is critical that the United States back a process of peaceful change,” Pickett concluded.
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