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Journalism of Courage
The UN atomic watchdog unanimously approved today a cut of almost half its aid programmes to Iran as part of UN sanctions over Iran’s nuclear programme, a spokesman for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said.
The move by the 35-nation board of the IAEA reflected UN sanctions passed in December that ban transfers of technology or expertise to Iran that might be of use in producing nuclear fuel. The Security Council resolution had imposed sanctions on Iran for continuing to enrich uranium and called for cuts in IAEA aid to Iran, which the US accuses of seeking nuclear weapons.
By consensus, the board adopted a decision by the IAEA’s Secretariat to freeze or curb 22 of the 55 aid projects, diplomats in the closed session at IAEA headquarters said.
Western powers who bankroll such aid and have driven sanctions steps originally demanded more sweeping reductions. The Non-Aligned Movement bloc of developing nations, to which Iran belongs, had opposed cuts. They feared a politicised precedent would be set jeopardising their own access to IAEA aid for nuclear energy seen as key to modernising their economies.
“No one is totally satisfied. But both sides felt it best not to challenge the Secretariat’s professional judgment. It was as fair and balanced as possible under the politically charged circumstances,” said a senior NAM diplomat.
Only two states in the IAEA’s 50-year history have been stripped of nuclear aid due to concern about possible diversions into bombmaking — North Korea and Saddam Hussein’s Iraq.
Iran condemned the slash in aid projects but blamed the UN Security Council, saying it had illegally eroded the IAEA’s professional independence in disbursing aid to promote peaceful nuclear energy development.
Tehran says its nuclear programme, centred on uranium enrichment which can yield fuel for power plants or, if taken to higher degrees, bombs, is meant only to generate electricity.
Western powers suspect a hidden agenda to build nuclear arms and four years of IAEA investigations often stonewalled by Iran have failed to verify Iran’s intentions are entirely peaceful.
