http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionid=3CMY42VSROCLRQFIQMFSFG
GAVCBQ0IV0?xml=/news/2006/04/23/wiran23.xml
Iran 'models nuclear plan on Pakistan'
By Philip Sherwell in Washington
(Filed: 23/04/2006)
The United States arms control chief has given warning that Iran is "very
close to the point of no return" in acquiring the technological expertise to
make a nuclear weapon.
"In terms of activities on the ground in Iran, it is fair to say that the
Iranians have put both feet on the accelerator," said Robert Joseph, the
senior US State Department official responsible for countering nuclear
proliferation.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
<http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/graphics/2006/04/23/wiran23.jpg>
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
His comments, which come as the United Nations Security Council prepares to
meet to discuss the crisis this week, indicate that Washington believes that
the stakes are rising rapidly in the West's confrontation with the Islamic
republic.
Earlier this month, Teheran claimed to have enriched uranium for the nuclear
fuel cycle. It has pushed ahead with its programme while taking advantage of
a diplomatic stand-off between Moscow and Washington over possible UN
sanctions.
Iran is following tactics outlined by its former chief nuclear negotiator in
comments to clerics and academics previously unreported in the West. Hassan
Rowhani made clear that Iran's goal was to present the world with a fait
accompli over its nuclear ambitions.
"If, one day, we are able to complete the fuel cycle and the world sees that
it has no choice, that we do possess the technology, then the situation will
be different," he told the Supreme Cultural Revolution Council. "The world
did not want Pakistan to have an atomic bomb or Brazil to have the fuel
cycle, but Pakistan built its bomb and Brazil has its fuel cycle."
He delivered the speech in September, a month after Iran sparked the latest
stage of its showdown with the international community by resuming uranium
conversion, in breach of previous accords, following the election of its
hardline president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Mr Rowhani reiterated to his audience Iran's public insistence that it is
seeking nuclear technology only for peaceful civilian purposes. But his
comparison to Pakistan's secret development of an atomic weapon is
significant, as Iran acquired much of its nuclear know-how from A Q Khan,
the rogue scientist known as the father of the Pakistani bomb.
During the speech, Mr Rowhani emphasised that Iran had intended to complete
its programme in secret. "This was never supposed to be in the open. But in
any case the spies exposed it," he said, in reference to the revelation by
opposition exiles of Iran's clandestine nuclear operations.
Karim Sadjadpour, an Iranian analyst with the International Crisis Group,
said Teheran was aiming to shape the debate with its claims.
"Iran is betting that it can redraw the West's red lines by creating facts
on the ground. At the time they re-commenced uranium conversion activities
in Isfahan, last August, much fuss was made in the US and EU, but it
eventually became an irreversible fait accompli. They may well believe that
the West will eventually come to accept their enrichment activities as
well."
The Security Council meets on Friday to hear a report on Iran's nuclear
activities from the International Atomic Energy Agency. But although the
agency's director, Mohamed ElBaradei, is certain to report that Iran has
ignored the ultimatum to halt enrichment work, US, British and French hopes
of moving towards imposing sanctions are slim.
Russia hardened its stand against such punitive measures last week. Its
foreign ministry said Moscow would consider sanctions only if "concrete
facts" emerged that Iran was developing nuclear weapons. China, which also
holds a Security Council veto, leans towards the Russian position.
Iran made an apparent attempt yesterday to confuse the situation ahead of
the UN meeting when it said it had reached a "basic" agreement with Moscow
to enrich uranium in Russia. The announcement made no mention of whether
Teheran would cease enrichment in Iran - a key UN demand.
Last week, Moscow rejected an appeal by Washington to halt the sale of air
defence missile systems to Teheran in a $700 million (£392 million) deal.
"This is not the time for business as usual with the Iranian government,"
said Nicholas Burns, a senior US State Department official.
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