IRAN: Nuclear chief rejects allegations of secret enrichment site

Was there a hint of a dare in Iranian nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi's rejection Friday of allegations that Iran was working on a secret nuclear site?

Salehi, head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, denied claims by an outlawed fringe group that the Islamic Republic had begun construction of a secret nuclear fuel enrichment facility northwest of Tehran. 

On Thursday the Mujahedin Khalq Organization, or MKO, a cult-like Iranian exile group with ties to neoconservative opponents of Iran’s nuclear program in Washington, presented satellite photos to reporters and referred to unspecified intelligence sources that it said showed Iran was creating a secret nuclear enrichment plant in the  village of Bahjatabad, near the city of Abeyk in Qazvin province.

Salehi denied the allegation. 

If there's a nuclear facility at the site, he said, prove it.

“There are no nuclear installations, or what can be technically defined as one, in Iran that the International Atomic Energy Agency is unaware of,” he told the semi-official Mehr News Agency. “We have no such installations where we enrich uranium. If they really are aware of such installations perhaps they would like to tell us about it so that we can thank them.” 

But he also suggested that the satellite images could show the site of another type of high-tech facility. 

“Inside Iran there are many varieties [of plants],” he said, “be they of the radio-medical variety or centers for sterilizing agricultural products through radiation, none of which fits the technical definition” of a nuclear plant. 

Arms control experts and the Pentagon cast doubt on the accusation.

“I don't know if this site is one that they have discovered that our intelligence experts have not seen,” Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell told Agence France-Presse. “I find that hard to believe, but we shall see." 

The MKO, listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, divulged accurate information about Iran’s undisclosed nuclear facilities in Natanz and Arak in 2002, but has also led international inspectors on wild goose chases. 

It spoke Thursday under the auspices of the Iran Policy Committee, formed in 2005 as a lobbying organization that advocates the overthrow of the government.

-- Borzou Daragahi in Beirut

Photo: Iranian atomic chief Ali Akbar Salehi speaks during a press conference at the Bushehr nuclear power plant in August. Credit: Abedin Taherkenareh/European Pressphoto Agency

Comments

[victim]

according to the information that declassified by us state department during the court proceeding,much of the information the group has provided on Iran`s nuclear program has been wrong.
http://pacer.cadc.uscourts.gov/docs/common/opinions/201007/09-1059-1255582.pdf
page 11

[Joe]

Anyone who fought with Saddam against Iranians are traitors, case closed!

[Joe]

Last time I checked, Iranians where telling US to leave us alone with dignifying tone, I don't see why they would be lying now, check their resume!

[Shahab]

@Esther Haman....First, if you are going to talk about an organization you should refer to it by its proper name so you don't look like your regurgitating the Ministry of Intelligence's disinformation. It is not MKO it is the PMOI or MEK. General Wafiq al-Samerai, the former head of Iraqi military intelligence who defected in 1994 and was adviser to the President of Iraq until 2008, has addressed these allegations. He states, "Contrary to what has been claimed, the PMOI has never carried out even a single operation as part of the Iraqi ground forces against Iranian forces. Its operations were completely separate and had a special nature. Its units were never integrated into Iraqi units. Its personnel never participated in any Iraqi operations, even as individuals. During the war, both the PMOI and the Iraqis were very cautious to maintain a demarcation, and relied on a high level of coordination with an acceptable security arrangements with the Iraqi leadership." (http://ncr-iran.org/content/view/6236/125/ )

It is apparent that you do not have the proper information with regards to the geopolitical situation in Iran over the last 30 years. It was Khomeini who insisted on continuing the war after Iraqi forces were driven out of Iranian territory and withdrew their remaining forces behind the border in 1982. The Iraqi government accepted a ceasefire at that time but Khomeini's lust for an extremist caliphate brought utter destruction and devastation to Iran for an extra 6 years. The continuation of the war after 1982 was unjustified and the PMOI set out to end it. It was the PMOI's operations against the Revolutionary Guard that forced Khomeini to "drink the chalise of poison" that was the ceasefire. You can refer to the Red Cross and they will tell you that many of the PMOI in Camp Ashraf were soldiers in the Iran Iraq war who defected and joined the ranks of the PMOI.

The leaders of the PMOI never declared themselves the king and queen of Iran. That is just ludicrous on so many levels and again shows that you do not have the appropriate knowledge regarding the subject matter.

The PMOI as an Iranian organization has an obligation and a duty first as Iranians and as citizens of this world to ensure that the expansionist extremist mullahs do not acquire a nuclear weapon. The repercussions of such an acquisition will plunge the region into an arms race and will destabilize an already volatile part of the world. A government that tortures, rapes, and executes its own citizens in the most barbaric of manners in no way should have a nuclear capability. The true sell outs are the mullahs in Iran who have depleted the Iranian peoples wealth through the fire sale of the countries resources to the very same "capitalist west" that you speak of so that they in turn would continue to appease the regime at the expense of the democratic opposition.

[Esther Haman]

How can anyone take these MKO leaders who at one point declared themselves the king and the queen of Persia/Iran serious? They try anything to make themselves more legitimate in the eyes of the Iranians and now their arch enemy, capitalist west. Another strange thing is that these same MKO members are betraying their own country now by helping west to incriminate Iran in an illegal act, but it is not clear for what reason?! What is in it that they want so bad? Just peace and safety of the Iranian people? Most likely NOT. These same MKO members are the same people who helped Sadam Hussein to defeat and kill Iranians by thousands during the Iran, Iraq war. So how much credibility do they have with the Iranian people of who’s their children and fathers were killed by these same people?! What is in it for the MKO? Just to sell Iran to the highest bidder? That is what it sounds like to me.

[Cyrusix]

@billy chowdury ...I hope that you are just blowing wind without dust when you say "...Iran obtained nukes from former Soviet Union's republic and these are well fitted on the top of the radar evading Iranian smart missiles and, are ready to defend great Iran". Because if you are right..you have just signed the death certificates of millions of Iranians. Of course Iran will have to be very careful where they send their "radar evading missiles" to. Let us assume their target is Israel, remember Israel has more than 200 nuclear weapons and there is a nuclear missile submarine outside the Persian gulf area. The net result will be of course that Palestine gets wiped off the earth together with Israel and Iran will suffer similar devastation.

The "brave Iranian" regime that inspires so much happiness in you will certainly be happy with you. I pity the poor Iranian people though. It is idiots like you who are the biggest inspiration and justification for the neo conservatives who are all pushing for an attack on Iran.

I am beginning to wonder whether you and the war mongers in the USA, Israel and Iran are not all being paid by the same group.

[billy Chowdhury]

To talk or write about Iran's nukes program is an old story. It is time to talk how to live with a nuclear armed Iran since Iran obtained nukes from former Soviet Union's republic and these are well fitted on the top of the radar evading Iranian smart missiles and, are ready to defend great Iran .

Iran has every right to do whatever it wants to do like others .

It is time to talk about Saudi Arabia's regime that produced 9/11 all terrorists and Israeli nukes, how to transfer them to Iran for UN inspection and destruction.

To talk about world's most sophisticated technological nation Iran as a " cat and mouse" topic is just a lough .

Iran is out of control by threatening military option as Iran's president clearly with very plain words, said that Iran has now all option on its hand and it is now reality but not bluff .

Some of Iranian terrorist group's irresponsible remarks don't even pinch behind brave Iranian regime .

Iran must be a Muslim spokesman as a Muslim voice at the UN security council and that will only eliminate the hiding terrorist feeling from all terrorist group against the west .

And that simple sense must be set in mind of all Muslim regardless personal differences . period .

[Hamid Irani]

How can an LA Times reporter justify calling the PMOI, the country's main opposition group, a cult. He seems to have a personal grudge against the Mojahedin. I'm not sure about this but it looks from his name that the aurthor is Iranian. It is biased of him to randomly make such a charge in an article about Iran's nuclear program. A poorly-written article by the LAT.

[Esther Haman]

How can we put our trust in to a group of terrorist MKO who have American blood on their hands. These are the same Marxist group who committed terrorist acts against the Iranians during the Shah and killed many innocent Iranians during that time.

Come on, get something substantial and show some solid journalism. These here say are just propaganda and war mongering. Stop this non sense. Iran has done what they have said and they have said what they have done. After 10 years of inspections by the IAEA no smoking guns has ever been found and the IAEA is still in charge of the Iranian LEU. So, what gives?

Iran is still a signatory to the NPT and if that does not mean anything as in the case of the rogue apartheid Zionists entity, then lets do away with it all together!! Agreed?!

[shahab]

The PMOI (not MKO as only the Iranian regime calls them that) is not a cult like fringe group. To call them that shows a lack of knowledge regarding the political landscape of Iran. Cult is disinformation spread by the Iranian regime as a means to discredit the largest organized democratic opposition group in Iran.

With regards to their intelligence gathering capabilities, Frank Pabian a senior adviser on nuclear nonproliferation at Los Alamos National Laboratory is on the record as saying "they are right 90 percent of the time." (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/06/world/middleeast/06sanctions.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all)

In fact, the Qom facility that was mentioned by President Obama last year as a new revelation discovered by US intelligence was actually revealed by the PMOI in 2005 and went unchecked by the IAEA for years (http://www.iranfocus.com/en/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4982:iran-opposition-group-says-tehran-building-secret-nuke-tunnels&catid=3:special-wire) (http://www.iranfocus.com/en/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4985:iran-hides-nuclear-facilities-in-tunnels-exiles-say&catid=8:nuclear&Itemid=45)

Although US intelligence does not want to admit that their work is insufficient it is the PMOI's intelligence that has been instrumental in all that has been discovered to date.

This fringe group that you speak of brought together about 100,000 people outside of Paris last June in support itself. It has the support of over 3,500 parliamentarians in Europe. (http://ncr-iran.org/images/stories/IL/IL-latest/il-june%20taverny_s.pdf)

A BI-PARTISAN majority (more democrats than republicans) in the House of Representatives declared support for its members located in Camp Ashraf this year. (http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=hr111-704).

The US Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the PMOI this July essentially calling on the State Department to revoke the unjust terror designation against this organization. (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/16/AR2010071605881.html)

Yes, today the head of Iran's atomic agency denied the allegations by saying "There exists no nuclear facility in Iran as defined explicitly, which has not been declared to the International Atomic Energy Agency," and there are some center for nuclear activities "for hospitals, radiotherapy, x-ray and Gama ray facilities, and center for sterilization by irradiation of agricultural products are all over Iran, that do not fall within this definition." I hardly think that such facilities need to be buried 100 meters deep in a mountain under the control of the IRGC.

[Jacob Rightenour]

The author lost credibility when he referred to the organization as "MKO" and used the term "cult." Individuals familiar with Iranian politics know that the acronymn 'MKO' is only used by the Iranian Regime and its affiliated websites. The author fabricates its description of the group further by referring to its "neoconservative ties." Mr. Daragahi needs to put more effort into his work when referring to an organization that has been in existence for over four decades and enjoys the support of over 1,500 parliamentarians across the globe. President Bill Clinton referred to the MEK's recent gathering in France as a "massive pro-democracy" rally. Ironically, the MEK was falsely blacklisted as a goodwill gesture by the US State Department to former president Khatami, under Clinton's adminstration (since challenged by Supreme Court).

It is interesting that author indicates that some of the intelligence that has been gathered has not been accurate, but fails to provide evidence. They were the first to reveal the Bushehr, Natanz, and Qom sites which have all proven to be accurate. All three sites were also challenged by the west when they were first revealed. It is dangerous to say such a revelation has no merit, meanwhile the barberic regime in Iran continues to send innocent youth to the gallows and progresses further on its path towards nuclear weaponry.

[farid]

Dear sir
I am a bit puzzled by Mr Dargahi's bias article as he does not hide his personal animosity towards Iran's main opposition group, as they were the main source of information regarding Iran's illegitimate nuclear activities and apparently Mr Dargahi is not quite happy with this issue. He also forgot to metion that the unlawful blacklisting of the People's Mojahedin of Iran which has been done on the behest of Iranian regime, has been challenged by the court in United States. So if we are not doing something to help the Iranian people in theie cry for demoracy is it to better at least to stay impartial

[Ross]

Mojahedin have been right all the time. Mullahs always say that is not true and then we fine out it has been true.Why mullahs do not let UN inspectors to go and see the place before they move the equipments away?