IRAN: Nuclear secrets or nuclear pride?

Secrets? There are no secrets, says Ali Asghar Soltanieh, Iran's ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna.

Iran is proud of its nuclear program and doesn't try to hide anything, he says, contrary to the allegations of Western officials and other arms control experts who allege that Iran is using a civilian nuclear energy program as a cover to build the infrastructure for a weapons program.

Soltanieh is a loquacious guy who welcomes reporters to his quarters with tea and sweets. He sat down earlier this month for an extensive interview with the Los Angeles Times, some of which appeared in today's paper.

Soltanieh, a former nuclear scientist and an alumnus of Utah State University, insists not only that Iran has stuck to the letter of international law, but also that it has been as transparent as possible. Below are some more excerpts from the interview:

Los Angeles Times: What was the reason for Iran to hide its nuclear program for so many years? Why not be transparent from the beginning?

Ali Asghar Soltanieh: I am thankful that you challenge me. That's what I really love, to be challenged either by journalists or even in many, many countries I go, universities, parliaments, because otherwise this question would be unanswered.

Since six years ago, they spoke about "concealment by Iran." ... I categorically reject "concealment" as far as our legal obligation is concerned. When in 2003 this matter was reflected to the world ... we were only under the comprehensive safeguards of the [Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty], and according to that, all countries are only obliged to report to the agency, 180 days, before they put nuclear material in any nuclear installations.

Therefore, in 2003 [IAEA Director-General Mohamed] ElBaradei was invited, invited by us, to come to the Natanz enrichment facility, and to see the achievements that these machines are rotating 1,000 rotation per second, as a great success. Mr. ElBaradei as a top legal expert did not say, "You have violated your NPT obligation," because Natanz still was not receiving nuclear material.

Legally, you have to understand, we have not had violations. Never, ever [have] the agency or Director-General [ElBaradei] used the notion of noncompliance. Any country might have failure. There were a series of failures. For example, Iran was supposed to report receiving the material 12 years ago, but it reported 10 years ago. These are failures. According to statute and according to safeguard agreement, corrective measures will clean everything. It means as soon as you report, it's OK.

LAT: Maybe you are not obliged according to the law, but why not be transparent to just create a state of confidence?

Soltanieh: Confidence is two-way road, it's not one-way. We have had before a revolution, a lack of confidence and a history of adversity with Americans, occupying Iran during the shah's regime, making a coup d'etat, interfering to our internal affairs. Over 40,000 military advisors were in Iran, all different sectors they were influencing. After the revolution, the West did not continue their legal obligations for nuclear contracts in different areas of nuclear energy, including the Bushehr nuclear power plant. The Germans had received over 7 billion deutschemark, and they left it alone, they left us alone....

Bear in mind the fact that there is a serious concern about leak of confidential information. We wanted to make sure that we get this achievement, everything is ready for inviting the IAEA to visit, to inform the whole world of our success.... How can the people believe that you call this matter "a concealment" when by satellite one could read the nameplates of the cars? ... This is ridiculous.

I can tell you that, in 2003, when we were going with the car, with the inspectors and the officers of the agency ... and you have some sort of area on the right, deserts, and then all of a sudden then these buildings start. This is nothing hidden. Just next to the main road, everybody was seeing it every day. Many of these buses going there, the bus driver was calling out, "Atomic station, anybody want to go out?"

In all nuclear [facilities] of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran -- in Esfahan, in Tehran, in Karaj, in Bushehr, in Arak -- everything has a large plate with the name, "Atomic Energy Organization of Iran," and then the center of so and so. Therefore, everybody, every individual, can see it. We have nothing to hide. In fact, we are proud. We want the whole world to know that we have been successful in nuclear technology.

-- Borzou Daragahi

Photo: Ali Asghar Soltanieh as painted by artist Lisa Ruyter in her "Atoms For Peace" series, on display George Kargl Fine Arts gallery in Vienna until Jan. 11.

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Comments

[Bijan]

Hey Jeff (and alikes):

Have you heard the expression "dog barks while moon shines?" So keep-on barking.

Regards

[Ebrahim]

The problem of our government, Iran, with the world is not supposedly seeking nuclear weapons. The problem is we, Iranians, couldn't speak same as we act!

Truly we have not invaded any nation during pas near 300 years, we was not involved in 9/11. Although some parts of our government possibly were involved in destabilizing USA interests but had not hands in killing civilians. Instead, look at KSA and Pakistan, UAE and some other US allies. We all know either their civilians or some of their government security members were and are involved in many killing scenarios in all over the world, but the language of their official representatives is logical and peacefull.

Instead, although we will not bomb Israel at all never first, our governments and leaders day and night speak about wiping off their country. We must admit that Israel is real and then we can cooperate with world.

[Jeff]

Iran must go and so it will go. There is no other option. This is it. This is the end for Iran.

[Jared Davis-US Citizen and Veteran]

You all make a good point in Iran's case. What I can't make heads or tails of is when Soltanieh states his apparent intention "to wipe the scum of Israel from the face of the Earth", paraphrased of course. That is strong wording in English.

At the same time though, I would spit in the face of any punk country that tried to tell my country that we couldn't make nuclear power so GOOD FOR YOU.

As far as AMERICA and force......force is a peculiar dysfunction that breeds more force. That is why we are the world power...because we don't screw around. We get the technology we need and then we pull the freeking trigger. People don't often call our bluff, because they know that if they do....(case and point 9/11 baby....they killed a few of us....and they got their a** handed to them).....It is sadly the only "communication" that a lot of people understand. As far as us meddling in your business, I agree with you. If you are trying to power your houses....buck up and continue to fight. You will get it. Just try to keep all of those politicians doing what is right once you get it is all I would ask of you. By the way, most people in America (especially those veterans like me) would give their lives in battle gladly to defend you if it was asked for a good cause. We are not all bad.

Peace out, brothers.

[hass]

Actually, not only does Iran's nuclear program long predate the 1979 Islamic revolution and not only was it founded with the full support and encouragement of the United States, but Iran openly announced plans to start mining and converting uranium on national radio, and even invited IAEA members to see the mines. Since there is no other use for uranium except for use in nuclear programs, the suggestion that Iran had "hidden" its nuclear program is simply silly. The charge that Iran "intends" to possibly maybe one day make nukes is also scaremonging by the same "experts" who said Iraq has WMDs. Any country with a nuclear program is open to the same charge, and that's the whole reason for the existence of the IAEA -- which has yet to find an iota of evcidence that IRan plans to build nukes.

[Amir]

There is a persian saying that says: "Kaafar hame raa be kishe khod pendaarad" which figuratively means that "when YOU lie or steal, you THINK that everyone is lying to you or stealing from you". It seems that the US can't imagine another country with a nuclear program, but not a weapons program.

[Michka El]

The US government only understands the language of force, the only language it speaks herself.

In fact the US land grab from her neighbor Mexico, treatment of Hawaiians, native Americans, and people of central America all point to a barbaric, brutal and vicious entity who has no respect for other nations.

Although I consider myself a pacifist, the diplomatic maneuvers of the US government and the sanctions against Iran has now finally convinced me that the only way out of this situation is for Iran to acquire nuclear weapons ASAP.

Only then may be these idiots in charge of US foreign policy may want to sit down and talk.

[Sascha]

IMO Iran has the right to have a nuclear program. Our government and Iran should normalize relations; I think we share a lot of common goals in Middle East.

[Alex]

Today is my Birthday. I am 34. I would like to see a peaceful future for the world, so here is my policy prescription.

The USA should publicly denounce it's governments actions of providing weapons of mass destruction in the form of chemical weapons to the Iraqi Dictator Saddam Hussein.

The US government should publicly and officially apologize to the Iranian families who's children were gassed to death while defending their homes against The American supported Iraqi aggression with the sale of these WMD during the Iraqi invasion of Iran.

The USA should also criminally pursue those responsible in the US government for its own WMD proliferation policy, the same way they tried saddam hussein.

The USA should state that it just recently became aware of the fact that enrichment of nuclear fuel is an essential part of any peaceful nuclear program and so it realizes it its policy recently is irrational.

The USA also apologizes on behalf of itself, britain and france for undermining the NPT by providing Israel a non signatory with nuclear technology and investing billions a year in Nuclear weapons research and Nuclear weapons of Mass Destruction modernization. And the USA promises to stop dong that.

We all realize Peace has a price. In this case the USA must stop waging war.

[Kiumars]

It is certainly a pride for me and should be a pride for every real Iranian.

As for the confidence building, why USA and UK and France and Israel are not obliged to report their nuclear activities? Why double standards? What kind of confidence building is that? Confidence is a two way road.

The history tells us that it is the Americans who need to gain our confidence! Who bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki? Who firebombed the civilians of Tokyo and Dresden? Who killed over one million German Prisoners of war in the U.S. and French concentration camps after the WWII was over? Who killed over 5 million Vietnamese (4 millions of them civilians)? Why should we trust such murderers?