Jones Plays Down Iran Nuclear Study

National Security Adviser Jim Jones played down an International Atomic Energy Agency report that suggests Iran is closer to being able to make an atomic bomb than U.S. reports have indicated, instead voicing optimism over Tehran's offer to open up a second nuclear site to inspectors.

But both Republican and Democratic lawmakers seized on the study by the United Nations nuclear watchdog -- details of which were made public in the last few days -- to call for stronger action, including additional sanctions, against Iran.

 

Reuters

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad met with Mohamed ElBaradei in Tehran.

The U.S. position has been that in 2003 Iran halted its program to develop atomic weapons. The IAEA report raises concerns about evidence it received indicating that Iran had conducted studies on ways to build a nuclear warhead, said David Albright, founder of the Institute for Science and International Security and a former nuclear inspector, who said he had viewed excerpts from the IAEA study. The report also documents what it said was growing evidence that Tehran was studying how to place a miniaturized nuclear device atop Iran's long-range Shahab-3 missile.

Asked on CNN's "State of the Union" if he thought Iran's capability to build such a weapon had increased. Gen. Jones replied, "No. We stand by the reports that we put out."

"I think you're going to get a lot of speculation one way or another," he said. Instead, he focused on a potential breakthrough with Iran. "I think that's what's happened regarding Iran in the last couple of weeks is very significant."

Iran has announced that it would open its newly revealed nuclear facility near the holy city of Qom for inspection on Oct. 25. It has also said it would discuss how to transfer most of its low-enriched uranium to Russia for processing for use in medical treatments.

IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei also sought to strike a more-optimistic tone regarding Iran on Sunday. Speaking at a joint news conference in Tehran with Iran's top nuclear official, he said his agency "has no concrete proof of an ongoing weapons program in Iran,'' according to the Associated Press. But the IAEA has "concerns about Iran's future intentions," he said.

"'I see that we are at a critical moment. I see that we are shifting gears from confrontation into transparency and cooperation," said Mr. ElBaradei, according to AP.

Gen. Jones warned that the discussion with Iran wouldn't be an open-ended process. "The world community wants to be satisfied within in a short period of time," he said, adding there wouldn't be "extended discussions that we're going to have before we draw our conclusions on what their real intent is. But for now I think things are moving in the right direction."
 
Republican and Democratic lawmakers, appearing on "Fox News Sunday," urged swift action against Iran.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.), who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, urged the U.S. to "challenge the Iranians to give us some access to what's alleged in this report." The report is "just yet more evidence" that Iranians are trying to develop a nuclear weapon, he said, adding that the U.S. needed to set some "deadlines and ultimatums."

Sen. Evan Bayh, a Democrat from Indiana who also sits on armed services panel, suggested that the U.S. immediately impose strong financial and economic sanctions. "We need to do them now, have real deadlines and consequences if they don't live up to their word, because they have lied repeatedly in the past," he said.

Sen. Bob Casey (D., Pa.) used the report to push for passage of a bill he has co-sponsored that would allow public pension funds to divest from companies that do more than $20 million in business with the Iranian energy sector, without suffering any administrative, civil or criminal consequences.
The IAEA report on Iran's nuclear capabilities was written over the past year but details recently became public. Washington-based ISIS on Friday released a report that its author said drew from an "in-house" IAEA study on Iran's alleged efforts to weaponize its nuclear program.

"The agency has information, known as the Alleged Studies, that the Ministry of Defense of Iran has conducted and may still be conducting a comprehensive program aimed at the development of a nuclear payload to be delivered using the Shahab 3 missile system," the IAEA study says, according to the ISIS report.

The IAEA has not denied the existence of its report, which was first reported by the Associated Press last month. But IAEA officials have denied that the agency had suppressed making public the report. Past agency reports have raised concerns about potential military applications of Iran's nuclear program.

"I should repeat that all information made available to the agency relevant to Iran's nuclear program which has been critically assessed by the agency...has been brought to the attention of the board," Mr. ElBaradei told the IAEA's Board of Governors last month.

- Via Wall Street Journal