Baradei Calms Nuke Fears.

The Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Muhammad ElBaradei, on April 12 played down fears of Iran developing a nuclear bomb, saying it "did not have the necessary elements" to do so. He said Iran was now co-operating with the IAEA regarding its nuclear programme.

Speaking to journalists in Riyadh after holding talks with GCC Secretary-General Abdul-Rahman Al-Attiyah, ElBaradei called on Iran to continue co-operating with the IAEA. Iran is an IAEA member and a signatory to the international treaty against the usage of weapons of mass destruction. ElBaradei urged Iranian officials to change their attitude and guarantee that the Iranian nuclear programme was not for destructive purposes, adding: "The IAEA is not pressuring Iran for the sake of pressuring Iran. We are pressuring Iran because Iran is part of the international treaty to not use weapons of mass destruction and my duty is to provide evidence to the international community its nuclear programme is for civilian use".

He denied that Iran had objected to the installation of cameras at its uranium enrichment plant at Natanz, saying the plant's activities were being observed by the IAEA. He added: "We have nuclear inspectors in Iran. Iran's facilities are still under the surveillance of the IAEA. We have not seen any facilities being built underground".

He blasted remarks about the use of nuclear weapons if a country was threatened, saying this was "madness". He said: "Any use of a nuclear weapon would mean the beginning of the end for the human race", adding a country which used a nuclear bomb would also be severely hurt.

ElBaradei denied the IAEA was a tool for major powers to implement their agendas in the region. He said the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), first signed in 1970, was "imbalanced" and had "malfunctioned". He said the NPT could not have a permanent basis as eight or nine big powers refused to sign it. He denied there was "double standard" in the way the IAEA was operating in the region, saying states needed to settle their disputes on the bilateral level for the treaty to be implemented on a global level.

He said: "We have got to differentiate between states, the IAEA, and its director-general. The disputes between states should be resolved between one another. It is not a problem of international agencies". Speaking about an IAEA inspection of Israel's nuclear facilities, he said: "I do not have the legal authority to force them (the Israelis) to have their facilities searched...but as an international official I can say the treaty cannot have a permanent status unless the system is implemented on a global level".

ElBaradei said no power in the world had the right to tell the six GCC states what they can or cannot do regarding their announcement to develop civilian nuclear facilities which was made public in the GCC summit in December 2006. "The decision to use nuclear power or not to use it is solely taken by the state concerned", he said, adding: "It is a legitimate right". He gave the example of the US, which is rich in oil and gas and at the same time uses nuclear energy for civilian purposes, noting: "There are 104 nuclear reactors in the United States to produce electricity...20% of America's electricity comes from nuclear power".

ElBaradei said 150 states were using nuclear power for civilian use, adding that they were co-operating with the IAEA regarding inspections. He said states were now shifting to nuclear power to preserve the world's natural resources and to provide variations in energy resources. But he said the IAEA needed assurance that GCC states had the necessary manpower, training and basic requirements before beginning the construction of any nuclear facility.

GCC Secretary-General Attiyah said an international committee would be visiting the region in May to study the GCC's nuclear plan and set a deadline for its beginning. He said the complete plan and agendas would be placed before GCC leaders in Muscat at the next GCC summit in late 2007, adding: "We have reviewed what was discussed in the past. The study will begin determining the time frame and the elements".