ARABS-UN - Nov. 26 - IAEA Compromises On Iran.

The IAEA's 35 board members agree to a resolution that condemns Iran's clandestine nuclear programme but holds back from sending it to the UN Security Council, where it could face sanctions. IAEA head Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei  tells a news conference in Vienna the board is "sending a serious and ominous message that failures in the future will not be tolerated". (At issue for the main negotiators, the US and 3 EU governments - the UK, France and Germany - that have an agreement with Iran - is how to find a balance between condemning Iran's history of deceit over its nuclear programme while allowing space for future co-operation. The US had wanted to refer Iran to the UN. The Europeans said that would rob them of all leverage. The significant compromise was inclusion of a "trigger" clause calling on the board to consider "all options available" should evidence of further failures come to light. The US insists this includes taking the issue to the Security Council. On Nov. 27 the FT quoted a senior US official as alleging that Iran was continuing its covert nuclear weapons programme and adding: "The Europeans will be embarrassed because disclosures will come out that Iran has not admitted to everything. There are some things we are aware of that have not been declared". The UK, France and Germany had spent months negotiating with Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment work and sign the "additional protocol", providing for unannounced inspections of all its nuclear facilities by the IAEA. In return, the EU would pursue its economic and political dialogue with Iran). Iran says the resolution is an "achievement" for Tehran. But its ambassador to the IAEA expresses disappointment that it did not include one of the main conclusions of ElBaradei's report: that the IAEA has not found evidence of a nuclear weapons programme).