Are we getting the truth about Iran?

[Charlie P]

IAEA protests "erroneous" U.S. report on Iran
Thu Sep 14, 2006 5:51 AM ET



By Mark Heinrich
VIENNA (Reuters) - U.N. inspectors have protested to the U.S. government and a Congressional committee about a report on Iran's nuclear work, calling parts of it "outrageous and dishonest", according to a letter obtained by Reuters.
The letter recalled clashes between the IAEA and the Bush administration before the 2003 Iraq war over findings cited by Washington about Iraqi weapons of mass destruction that proved false, and underlined continued tensions over Iran's dossier.
Sent to the head of the House of Representatives' Select Committee on Intelligence by a senior aide to International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei, the letter said an August 23 committee report contained serious distortions of IAEA findings on Iran's activity.
The letter said the errors suggested Iran's nuclear fuel program was much more advanced than a series of IAEA reports and Washington's own intelligence assessments have determined.
It said the report falsely described Iran to have enriched uranium at its pilot centrifuge plant to weapons-grade level in April, whereas IAEA inspectors had made clear Iran had enriched only to a low level usable for nuclear power reactor fuel.
"Furthermore, the IAEA Secretariat takes strong exception to the incorrect and misleading assertion" that the IAEA opted to remove a senior safeguards inspector for supposedly concluding the purpose of Iran's program was to build weapons, it said.
The letter said the congressional report contained "an outrageous and dishonest suggestion" that the inspector was dumped for having not adhered to an alleged IAEA policy barring its "officials from telling the whole truth" about Iran.
Diplomats say the inspector remains IAEA Iran section head.
The IAEA has been inspecting Iran's nuclear program since 2003. Although it has found no hard evidence that Iran is working on atomic weapons, it has uncovered many previously concealed activities linked to uranium enrichment, a process of purifying fuel for nuclear power plants or weapons.
IAEA spokeswoman Melissa Fleming said: "We felt obliged to put the record straight with regard to the facts on what we have reported on Iran. It's a matter of the integrity of the IAEA."
Diplomats say Washington, spearheading efforts to isolate Iran with sanctions over its nuclear work, has long perceived ElBaradei to be "soft" on Tehran.
"This (committee report) is deja vu of the pre-Iraq war period where the facts are being maligned and attempts are being made to ruin the integrity of IAEA inspectors," said a Western diplomat familiar with the agency and IAEA-U.S. relations.

This article is from Reuters and there is also one on the Washington Post.

[Champlain Islander]

Are we getting the truth on Iran...Only Iran knows for sure but I doubt it. What does a country like Iran have to gain with the development of nuclear weapons...plenty. They along with Syria are hell bent in promoting Fascism and allowing terrorist activities to emanate from their borders against most of the Middle East and the West. It has been about 60 years since we developed the atomic bomb a feat that several nations have since accomplished. The technology and methodology for WMD is out there and my feeling is that Iran already has it to some extent. If they had a bomb would they sell or give it away to someone who wants to hurt the US? My guess would be yes. The next question is when.

[Whitehorse]

Let's see, would I trust the UN's IAEA based on their track record? No. The IAEA seemstobe telling us that Iran's nuclear program is for peaceful energy purposes. Where have we heard that before? North Korea in the 1990's. The Imams or Mullahs or whatever they are in Iran have come out & said it would be proper for Iran to have nuclear weapons. They must have hearty laughs @ those in the US & Europe who wouldbuy the "peaceful energy purposes" line.

[Charlie P]

Let's see, would I trust the UN's IAEA based on their track record? No

They were right about Iraq weren't they?

[Deleted User]

[Deleted by Admins]

[cameronmclain]

Are we getting the truth about Iran?

We're not even getting the truth about Iraq, why would we be getting the truth about Iran?

Charlie & Ifferd- I agree with you that we're not getting the truth, but for different reasons.

You distrust this administration and any of it's claims. That's fine, that's your opinion, and it's fair if you believe that.

I, on the other hand, distrust anything AT ALL that has ANYTHING to do with the UN. I distrust their inspectors, members, counsel, leaders, reports, findings, spending, statements, EVERYTHING EVERYTHING EVERYTHING!!!! (Hope I didn't overdo that!)

I also distrust what the media prints about the stories, but that's a whole 'nother subject!

So I would have a tendency to distrust the inspectors first, before I said "Bush is making it up" again.

Do you tend to believe the inspectors first and distrust Bush? (I think I already know the answer to that!)


On another note, wasn't sarin gas, rockets, etc found in Iraq a couple of months ago? I don't remember exactly when, but I think I heard about that.Was I dreaming? Anyway, not trying to change the subject.

[Whitehorse]

No cameron, you weren't dreaming. WMD have been found in Iraq - just not the gleaming stockpiled warehouses some thought would be there. Saddam never came clean, as he was supposed to do, regarding his WMD stores & programs. He stood in the way of the inspectors @ every turn. Allegations that many WMD were moved to another country have not been proven, however the evidence is there & the investigation continues.

[Champlain Islander]

The reality is it is us against all of them. I don't feel we can trust any of the Islamic Countries"¦. even the ones that we think are our allies. They will cover and lie for each other under their common goal of fighting the infidels. Take our aid away and we wouldn't have a presence anywhere in the Middle East. IMO we are basically buying a presence to keep our foot in the door which from a military standpoint is probably a good thing. But let there be no mistaking the fact that we have few real friends there. Planting the seeds of democracy over there is about as likely to take root as planting a garden on bedrock.

[CalHunter]

I agree that the UN simply has no credibility.