IAEA Deputy Director General Olli Heinonen will arrive in Tehran on Monday for talks with Iranian officials on “alleged studies,” a term used by IAEA to refer to research undertaken in Iran allegedly aiming to produce nuclear weapons.
The research documents under question include charts on uranium conversion process. During the process the highly-enriched uranium (HEU) is converted into uranium metal, the core of any uranium-based nuclear weapon. IAEA investigators also would like to study a document on casting of uranium metal into the shape of a nuclear warhead. The documents also include schematics of a Shahab-3 missile re-entry vehicle that appears to have the capability of carrying a nuclear warhead. Lastly, IAEA investigators are interested in documents on remote explosive testing, another core element in any nuclear weapon program. The plans show underground detonations facilities and a separate firing facility 10 km (six miles) away.
Iran has dismissed the alleged studies as “baseless” and has labeled the intelligence used to back them as fake.
In February, Heinonen presented the documents and intelligence reports during a closed-door briefing to IAEA board members, including the Iranian ambassador, at its Vienna headquarters.
ISNA reported from Tehran on Friday that Heinonen talks in Tehran on Monday would focus on the procedures for IAEA examination of the “alleged studies.”
Heinonen and his team will meet with Iran's Deputy National Security Chief Javad Vaeedi, Ambassador to the IAEA Ali Asghar Soltanieh, and the Deputy Head of Iran Atomic Energy Organization Mohammad Saeedi.
6 comments:
Nader, this is off the subject of the thread but I love that photo of horseracing at Gonbad Qabus on your front page. I used to be quite a follower of thoroughbred racing when I was younger, in fact my dad was in the business for a few years. I spent a fair amount of time around a few racetracks in Detroit, Pennsylvania and Toronto as a teenager.
Is parimutuel wagering (betting money) permitted at the racetrack(s) in Iran, do you know?
Thanks,
Mark
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Thanks, Mark. Turkmen thoroughbred are indeed very valuable. I know Turkmen who have spend a lifetime studing them.
Iinformal wagering goes on, but I do not believe it is lgal. i'll check on that and will get back to you.
Nader
Thanks my friend. A chance to watch some thoroughbred racing in Iran would be an excellent reason to visit again. I never saw the racetracks there. I would love to see an Iranian racetrack in person, even if betting money is not officially permitted. I was just curious about that. I know that playing cards for money is not legal in Iran, but it's technically not legal in the United States either (in most states).
Cheers,
Mark
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It'll be pretty tough to keep beating up on Iran for its domestic enrichment effort now.
U.S. relaxes bid to halt atom enrichment tech sales
By Mark Heinrich
21 April 2008
The United States has given up efforts to ban uranium-enrichment technology sales to non-nuclear states, instead proposing criteria for such trade to win over critics in the Nuclear Suppliers Group, diplomats say.
But Canada and possibly some others in the 45-nation NSG may not be satisfied with parts of the new approach, the diplomats, familiar with the matter but asking for anonymity due to political sensitivities, told Reuters.
Washington's shift was the subject of a two-day consultative NSG meeting that began in Vienna on Monday. A decision on the U.S. move -- which must be made by consensus -- would be left to the group's next plenary session in Berlin on May 19-23.
The NSG seeks to prevent nuclear proliferation by curbing transfers of technology of possible use in building atom bombs. But enriched uranium is also the basis of peaceful nuclear energy, for which demand in developing nations is rocketing.
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True. The current issue, however, is the “alleged studies.” These are documents related to the infamous “Green Salt” project, a program for allegedly producing nuclear weapon. Iran and IAEA are meeting today in Tehran on those issues. Iran claims documents presented by IAEA (which got them from US) are fakes. IAEA insists that Iran needs to go beyond saying the documents are fakes and come up with answers for specific schematics and plans that point to specific programs/locations in Iran. We should know by Tuesday if there were any progress during the talks. They’ve been going on all afternoon.
Right. And the Iranians are correct to point out that they're not going to jump through hoops every time the United States presents dubious documents, then insists that the Iranians "disprove" those documents (in this case dubious computer files from a dubiously acquired computer). If the Iranians are drawn into that trap then the CIA, Mossad and other intelligence services will begin producing "Iranian" documents left and right then demand the Iranians "disprove" them.
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