Energy News  
Iran MPs call for reduced ties with UN atomic watchdog

by Staff Writers
Tehran (AFP) Nov 29, 2009
Iranian lawmakers on Sunday demanded the government of hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad reduce ties with the UN atomic watchdog after it censured Tehran for building a new nuclear plant.

Condemning a resolution issued by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Friday as "political and lacking consensus," MPs also demanded that Tehran continue its controversial nuclear programme "without any halt."

In a separate move aimed at the West, parliament approved 20 million dollars in funding to expose alleged US and British human rights abuses.

State television said 226 lawmakers in the 290-member conservative-dominated parliament signed a declaration demanding the government draw up "a quick plan to reduce the level of cooperation with the IAEA and submit it" to the house.

The lawmakers condemned the IAEA and its resolution.

"We consider the behaviour of the IAEA to be that of double standards and political. We want it to give up this double standard which has tarnished its reputation," the MPs said in the sternly-worded declaration.

"The Iranian nation without a doubt knows that legally its nuclear file has no flaws and wants as soon as possible the case to be returned to the IAEA from the UN Security Council," they said.

Lawmakers also accused US President Barack Obama of failing to make the "slightest change" in policy towards Iran and following "the same path of the previous neo-conservative administration" of his predecessor, George W. Bush.

The Obama administration has advocated a policy of dialogue with Tehran but has also not ruled out new sanctions against the Islamic republic.

The IAEA's resolution saw China and Russia, which have close links with Tehran, joining forces with Britain, France, Germany and the United States in condemning Iran for building the new plant near the Shiite holy city of Qom.

Twenty-five nations on the 35-member IAEA board voted for the censure, which refers the case to the Security Council and was the first against Iran since February 2006. Only Venezuela, Malaysia and Cuba voted against.

Western powers have long suspected that Iran, despite its fierce denials, is trying to build a nuclear bomb. But in the past they have struggled to win over diplomatic backing from China and Russia.

Iran's disclosure of the Qom plant on September 21 angered world powers who object to Tehran's uranium enrichment work, the most controversial part of its nuclear programme.

Enriched uranium can be used to power nuclear reactors, but in highly purified form it can make the fissile core of an atom bomb.

World powers are also irked at Tehran for refusing a high-profile nuclear fuel deal brokered by the IAEA.

The deal envisages shipping abroad Iran's low-enriched uranium (LEU), which the West fears could be diverted for making atomic weapons, for converting into fuel required for a medical research reactor in Tehran.

Iran insists it is ready to send out its LEU only if there is a simultaneous exchange of the fuel inside the country.

The harsh stance of Iranian lawmakers came after parliament speaker Ali Larijani warned Iran could "seriously decrease" cooperation with the IAEA.

Larijani told parliament that Washington and other major powers in the P5-plus-1 group, which are in talks with Tehran over its nuclear programme, must change their approach towards Iran.

"Do not make the parliament and the Iranian nation choose another path and seriously decrease cooperation with the IAEA," Larijani, who previously was Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, told the US and other world powers.

The parliament's fury at the West was also seen when it approved a 20-million-dollar budget to probe alleged US and British human rights abuses, state television reported.

The sum will also be spent on "supporting progressive movements standing against illegal acts of the US and British governments," it said.

Share This Article With Planet Earth
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit
YahooMyWebYahooMyWeb GoogleGoogle FacebookFacebook



Related Links
Nuclear Power News - Nuclear Science, Nuclear Technology
Powering The World in the 21st Century at Energy-Daily.com



Memory Foam Mattress Review
Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News


British nuclear watchdog issues concerns on reactors
London (AFP) Nov 27, 2009
Britain's nuclear safety watchdog has warned that French and US-Japanese reactors planned for construction in Britain could be rejected unless safety concerns were met. The Health and Safety Executive said it has some concerns about features of both designs of the reactor technologies, proposed for use in a new generation of British nuclear power stations. "We continue to believe that ... read more







The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2009 - SpaceDaily. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement