The latest IAEA report which further proved that Iran is in compliance with the NPT and does not have a nuclear weapons program, has naturally ticked off the Israelis so much that they're resorting to dark conspiracy theories about how the IAEA is secretly allied with Iran:
"This report is unacceptable," Minister of Strategic Affairs Avigdor Lieberman told The Jerusalem Post. "This is further proof of ElBaradei's one-sided and pro-Iranian position."
Meanwhile, the Israelis have also demanded that IAEA head Mohammad ElBaradei to step down from his job:
"The forgiving report presents another example of the feeble policies of the committee and its chairman against Iran. That is criminal negligence, which endangers world peace," Israel's deputy foreign minister, Majalli Whbee, said in response to the IAEA report.
Meanwhile, the supine US and UK media are still trying to put their worst spin on the report. They're now breathlessly reporting on how Iran tried to buy nuclear technology from other countries - as if that's illegal. In fact, according to the explicit terms of the Nuclear NonProliferation Treaty, not only do countries like Iran have the right to acquire such technology, but the nuclear countries are obligated to share their technology. Had they done so, and had they allowed the IAEA and Iran to develop a civilian nuclear processing facilities back in 1983 which was totally legal and above board, then Iran would not have had to resort to secrecy in obtaining the technology to which it was entitled from Pakistan.
What Israel says is preposterous. Israel is not a signatory to NPT and yet talks about Iran's NPT obligations. Israel has been accusing Iran of having a nuclear weapons program for a long time and IAEA says there is no evidence backing up those claims. Israel and US also tried hard to manufacture evidence (remember the stolen laptop story, or the nuclear scientist who fled Iran?). But none has worked. Now they have no other way but to accuse ElBaradei.
Posted by: amir | November 17, 2007 at 04:37 PM