U.S. diplomat says panel is too soft on Iran

By George Jahn
The Associated Press

	Mohamed ElBaradei
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VIENNA, Austria — The United States assailed Iran yesterday for what it claimed were "lies" about its nuclear program and voiced unprecedented criticism of the U.N. atomic agency chief, suggesting he glossed over 18 years of deception that included enriching uranium and processing plutonium.

"Questionable," U.S. envoy Kenneth Brill said of a section of a report from International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei, adding the agency found "no evidence" of an Iranian nuclear program.

"Disingenuous," replied ElBaradei to Brill's criticism.

	Kenneth Brill

The exchange between the American and the Egyptian reflected deep differences at the IAEA board meeting over whether to condemn Iran's past nuclear transgressions, which it has admitted to, or focus on what major European nations say seems to be its newfound openness.

Diplomats described both the dispute between Brill and ElBaradei and the rift within the board as unprecedented in more than two decades of meetings by the 35-nation board. The board adjourned until Wednesday in hopes of finding a compromise. IAEA spokeswoman Melissa Fleming said the pause would allow for high-level talks in foreign capitals.

Addressing delegates, Brill criticized Iran for "violations and lies" by enriching uranium, processing small amounts of plutonium, and other activities that the Bush administration says point to a weapons agenda.

"Iran systematically and deliberately deceived the IAEA and the international community about these issues for year after year after year," Brill said. The purpose, he said, was "the pursuit of nuclear weapons."

Brill suggested a statement in ElBaradei's report was "questionable" in saying there was no "evidence" that Iran had tried to build nuclear weapons. Brill said the proper wording should have been that there was no "proof."

A combative ElBaradei dismissed the criticism.

"Frankly, I find it disingenuous that this word 'evidence' has suddenly become a matter of disbelief," he told board members. Citing Black's Law Dictionary, ElBaradei, a lawyer, quoted entries from the book to plead his case that "proof" and "evidence" may be used interchangeably.

He suggested that in at least one instance — the war in Iraq — the IAEA's credibility was "enhanced," and America's diminished, because there is still no sign of the nuclear-weapons program the Bush administration accused Saddam Hussein of having.

"We reflect facts, as radar does, without partiality," ElBaradei said. "We do not jump to conclusions or make leaps of faith. We have not said that we have come to the conclusion that the Iranian program is exclusively for peaceful purposes, because we still have work to do."

In Washington, the State Department sought to play down any rift.

"There's no intention to impugn the credibility of the International Atomic Energy Agency and the fine work that Director ElBaradei has done in putting together what is an important report on Iran's nuclear program," spokesman Adam Ereli said.

Chief Iranian delegate Ali Akbar Salehi suggested the United States was isolated on the board.

"We think that the American delegation — or the U.S. as a whole — is sort of a hostage to its own accusations," Salehi said.

A diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity said only a few countries — Canada, Australia and Japan — supported the U.S. position.

Copyright © 2003 The Seattle Times Company