Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran Ends Cooperation With IAEA and Resumes Uranium Enrichment

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, right, receives a message of Cuban President Fidel Castro delivered by Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque, in an official meeting in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, Feb. 5, 2006. On Saturday Iran’s president ordered the resumption of uranium enrichment and an end to snap inspections of its facilities after the U.N. nuclear watchdog voted to report Tehran to the Security Council. Twenty-seven of 35 member nations on the IAEA board voted for Iran’s referral, reflecting more than two years of intense lobbying by the United States and its allies to enlist broad backing for such a move. Cuba, Venezuela and Syria voted against, and five members abstained.

ASSociated Press: Iran Ends Cooperation With Nuke Watchdog

Iran ended all voluntary cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog on Sunday but said it was open to a proposal to enrich Iranian uranium in Russia, reversing its earlier response to being reported to the Security Council over fears it wants to produce nuclear arms.

Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Iran had implemented the president’s orders to resume uranium enrichment and bar snap inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency of its nuclear facilities – voluntary measures it allowed in recent years in a gesture to build trust.

“We ended all the voluntary cooperation we have been extending to the IAEA in the past two-and-a-half to three years, on the basis of the president’s order,” Mottaki said. “We do not have any obligation toward the additional protocol (anymore).”

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ordered the move Saturday in response to the U.N. agency’s decision to refer Iran to the Security Council, which could impose sanctions.

So, President Ahmadinejad has his trantrum and orders resumption of uranium enrichment and the end of IAEA inspections.

But…… he leaves open a Russian deal with possible off-country enrichment for nuclear power. This is nothing more than another stall.

The United States and Israel know the United Nations is and will continue to be ineffective in curbing Iran’s desire for nuclear weapons.

Iran may either stand down, destroy their nuclear weapon production facilities, and allow verifiable inspections or risk invasion and regime change.

Ahmadinejad and the Mullah’s choice….

Stay tuned……

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