Lack of Transparency Begets Ambiguity

"Iranian Ex-President Says Chief of Atomic Agency is Unfair"
A8, Saturday 11/22/08
By Nazila Fathi

In this piece, reporter Nazila Fathi gives voice to Iranian Ex-President Rafsanjani, who complains that the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) recent report criticizing the lack of Iranian transparency is ambiguous, unfair, and biased. Given that Rafsanjani provides no information of substance, it seems a bit silly that his comments are the centerpiece of the article.

The key issue remains that Iran continues to defy the IAEA and multiple UN Security Council Resolutions, regardless of how loud its leaders protest. The IAEA is demanding greater transparency so it can determine whether Iran's nuclear program is for civilian or military purposes. Furthermore, the UN Security Council continues to demand that Iran freeze uranium enrichment, which it has adamantly refused to do. As long as Iran does not come clean on the nature of its program, the Islamic Republic should expect that international pressure should continue and increase.

The end of the article is devoted to similar Syrian noncompliance to a separate IAEA report released the same day that further details traces of uranium found at a Syrian military installation (destroyed by Israel in an airstrike in September 2007) and demands greater Syrian transparency. Regarding the report, Fathi writes "the agency... said it had found ambiguous traces of uranium at the site." These weren't exactly "ambiguous traces" given that the uranium particles found were not naturally occurring but a product a chemical-processing.

Furthermore, based on satellite imagery of the site before and after the attack, the report states that the site's "containment structure appears to have been similar in dimension and layout to that required for a biological shield for nuclear reactors, and the overall size of the building was sufficient to house the equipment needed for a nuclear reactor of the type alleged."

Given these facts, the uranium traces found indicate much more than ambiguity. Iran and Syria can cry foul as much as they want but that doesn't alter the fact that they are clearly in violation of their obligations to the IAEA and UN Security Council. It is difficult, if not impossible, for the IAEA to provide clear conclusions when Iran and Syria refuse to provide transparency.