www.csmonitor.com/2005/0809/p02s01-wogi.html
Global Issues from the August 09, 2005 edition Iran resumes nuclear work; the West scrambles International Atomic Energy Agency to hold an emergency meeting Tuesday - a step closer toward a showdown at UN. By Howard LaFranchi | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor WASHINGTON Iran's resumption of uranium conversion Monday is set to be taken up at an emergency meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agen cy Tuesday - a move that could result in referral of the Iranian nuclear issue to the United Nations Security Council. The council, in turn, could set in motion an international effort to isol ate Iran politically and economically, something Iran has long wished to avoid.
Permission to reprint/republish The flurry of activity over Iran followed the Islamic Republic's terse re jection over the weekend of a European offer of economic incentives, inc luding help with nuclear-energy generation, in exchange for verifiably g iving up all nuclear activities that could lead to a bomb. The events re present a ratcheting up of a confrontation with the West that some offic ials in the United States have long considered inevitable, given their a ssumption that Iran is determined to join the nuclear club. Western officials likened Iran's step to an "in-your-face move" by a nati on in a political transition, with a new president in tune with the reig ning conservative mullahs. But Iranian officials, who insist their nucle ar program is for peaceful purposes, say the activity is part of Iran's right to develop nuclear power. "Part of this for the Iranians is to make a statement about sovereignty a nd national pride," says Miriam Rajkumar, a South Asia expert in nuclear affairs with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. "They don' t want to end up an international pariah like North Korea, but for them it really is an issue of sovereign rights." European officials remained cautious Monday, noting that Iran had not del ivered an official response to the incentive plan as of late afternoon i n Europe. Some also saw as positive the fact that the abrupt resumption of activity was apparently taking place under IAEA surveillance, but the move nonetheless appeared to constitute a violation that officials had said would prompt international action. Last week representatives of Germany and France, which along with Britain have been negotiating with Iran over its nuclear ambitions, said any re sumption of activities at facilities sealed months ago would probably tr igger referral of Iran to the Security Council. Monday Iran announced th at it had resumed uranium conversion at a facility in the city of Isfaha n, in effect restarting nuclear fuel development that had been shut down since an agreement signed in Paris last November. Whether the Security Council would take strong punitive action against Ir an remains in doubt - and Iran appears to be betting it won't, experts s ay - given Iran's close and growing ties to Security Council members Rus sia and China. Russia is building a nuclear reactor in the Iranian city of Bushehr, and China is strengthening its energy ties to Iran. In October, Iran signed an agreement to supply China with natural gas over 30 years, while it gr anted the Chinese state-owned petrochemical company, Sinopec, a 50 perce nt stake in one of its major oil fields. The European offer to Iran envisages a major new international energy rol e for Iran, French officials say. In an interview published Sunday, Fren ch Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said the plan of the "EU3" pro poses making Iran a "major actor in the transport of oil between Central Asia and Europe." But Iran's snub of the European offer falls in line w ith a calculated shift in Iran's geopolitical interests, some experts sa y, away from Europe toward new regional partners including India and Chi na. Iran's role as a major supplier of energy for the world market - especial ly at a time of record-high oil prices - is precisely why its leaders ar e betting that the international community may not get tough over its nu clear program, experts say. "They may have the tactical advantage," says Ms Rajkumar. What Iran is u ndertaking so far is legal under the Non- Proliferation Treaty, she note s That, and the fact that Iran is resuming fuel-cycle work under IAEA s upervision, may soften the agency's reaction to Iran's moves.
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