RIYADH, 13 April 2007 — Mohamed El-Baradei, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), yesterday played down fears of Iran developing a nuclear bomb, saying that it “did not have the necessary elements” to do so. He also said Iran was now cooperating with the agency regarding its nuclear program.
Speaking to journalists here after holding talks with GCC Secretary-General Abdul Rahman Al-Attiyah, Baradei called on Iran to continue cooperating with the IAEA. Iran is an IAEA member and a signatory to the international treaty against the usage of weapons of mass destruction. Baradei also urged Iranian officials to change their attitude and guarantee that the Iranian nuclear program is not for destructive purposes.
“The IAEA is not pressuring Iran for the sake of pressuring Iran,” he said. “We are pressuring Iran because Iran is part of the international treaty to not use weapons of mass destruction and my duty is to provide evidence to the international community that its nuclear program is for civilian use.”
He denied that Iran had objected to the installation of cameras at its uranium enrichment plant at Natanz, adding that the plant’s activities were being observed by the IAEA.
“We have nuclear inspectors in Iran. Iran’s facilities are still under the surveillance of the IAEA. We have not seen any facilities being built underground,” he said.
The IAEA chief blasted remarks about the use of nuclear weapons if a country is threatened, saying this is “madness.” “Any use of a nuclear weapon would mean the beginning of the end for the human race,” he said, adding that a country that uses a nuclear bomb would also be severely hurt. “There have been a lot of irresponsible statements made in the past,” he added.
The director general also denied that the IAEA was a tool being used by major powers to implement their agendas in the region. He added that the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which was first signed in 1970, was “imbalanced” and had “malfunctioned.”
Baradei said that the treaty cannot have a permanent basis when eight or nine major powers in the world refuse to sign it.
He denied there was “double standard” in the way the IAEA was operating in the region, saying that countries needed to settle their disputes on the bilateral level for the treaty to be implemented on a global level.
“We have got to differentiate between countries, the IAEA, and its director general,” he said. “The disputes between countries should be resolved between one another. It is not a problem of international agencies.”
Speaking about an IAEA inspection of Israel’s nuclear facilities, he said, “I do not have the legal authority to force them (the Israelis) to have their facilities searched...but as an international official I can say that the treaty cannot have a permanent status unless the system is implemented on a global level.”
Baradei said that no country in the world has the right to tell Gulf states what they can or cannot do regarding their announcement to develop civilian nuclear facilities that was made public in the GCC summit held last year.
“The decision to use nuclear power or not to use it is solely taken by the country concerned,” he said, adding, “It is a legitimate right.”
He gave the example of the United States, which is rich in oil and gas and at the same time uses nuclear energy for civilian purposes. “There are 104 nuclear reactors in the United States to produce electricity...20 percent of America’s electricity comes from nuclear power,” he said.
He added that currently 150 countries were using nuclear power for civilian use, adding that these countries were cooperating with the IAEA regarding inspections. He said countries were now shifting to nuclear power to preserve the world’s natural resources and to provide variations in energy resources.
However, the director general said that the IAEA needed assurance that GCC countries had the necessary manpower, training, and basic requirements before beginning the construction of any nuclear facility.
GCC Secretary-General Al-Attiyah said that an international committee would be visiting the region next month to study the GCC’s nuclear plan and set a deadline for its beginning.
He said that the complete plan and agendas would be placed before GCC leaders in Muscat at the next GCC summit. “We have reviewed what was discussed in the past. The study will begin determining the time frame and the elements,” he said.
