The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
cautioned yesterday an attack on Iran over its refusal to freeze
programs that could make nuclear weapons would be "an act of
madness," in indirect warnings to the US and Israel.
IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei also said Iran could be running
close to 3,000 uranium-enriching centrifuges by the end of next
month -- a number agency officials have described as the point of
no return in the start of a large-scale program.
ElBaradei spoke at the end of a meeting of his agency's
35-nation board, a gathering that focused on Iran's refusal to heed
UN Security Council demands that it freeze activities that could
serve to make nuclear arms and provide long-sought answers on
suspicious aspects of its nuclear program.
He also urged Iran to offer a "self-imposed moratorium" on
enrichment, describing it as a "good confidence-building measure"
that could launch negotiations on the standoff.
But the chief Iranian envoy to the meeting asserted his country
would never suspend enrichment - the key issue of Security Council
concern.
Even while calling for a negotiated solution, both the US and
Israel -- which has been threatened with extermination by Teheran
-- have refused to dismiss outright the possibility that they might
target Iran militarily if it refuses to back down on enrichment and
other areas of concern.
But ElBaradei described any use of force as "an act of madness
... (that) would not resolve the issue."
"The next few months will be crucial," he said, adding: "Iran is
building a capacity, a knowledge" of enrichment that is
irreversible, while not providing "an assurance that this is a
peaceful program."
"Even if Iran wants to have a weapon they are three to eight
years away," giving ample time for both sides to move from
confrontation, ElBaradei said, citing unnamed intelligence sources
for his estimate. But, "the longer we delay, the less option we
have to reach a peaceful solution," he added.
Declaring yesterday that Teheran had become the "master of
uranium enrichment" Ali Ashgar Soltanieh, Iran's chief IAEA envoy,
said his country will never suspend its program.
Ali warned that Iran may reconsider basic cooperation with IAEA
inspectors if it was hit with harsher UN sanctions.
(China Daily June 15, 2007)
