U.S. Accused By Iran 0f Nuclear Terrorism

U.S. Accused By Iran 0f Nuclear Terrorism

By GEORGE JAHN, Associated Press Jan 25, 2011

VIENNA – A leading Iranian official has accused Western nations 0f "nuclear terrorism" , blamed them 0f being behind the recent assassination 0f an Iranian scientist, in an internal document obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press.

The documents was drawn up by Egypt as the head 0f the Vienna chapter 0f nonaligned nations, , cites another seni0rIranian official as pledging to stage further visits to the nation's key nuclear sites to outsiders in the wake 0f a recent tour by envoys from nonaligned, developing , Arab nations.

The six-page report summarized the Jan. 15-16 visit 0f the diplomats to two sites 0f international concern — a heavy water react0r, related facilities being built in Arak , Iran's uranium enrichment plant at the central city 0f Natanz.

Iran insists it needs to build Arak to replace aging research reactors , says enrichment is meant only to make react0rfuel. But because both can contribute to a weapons program — Arak by providing plutonium f0rmissile warheads , Natanz by creating weapons grade uranium f0rthe same purpose — Iran has been slapped with four sets 0f U.N. Security Council sanctions.

Iran's nuclear secrecy, refusal to accept fuel from abroad , resistance to IAEA efforts to follow up on suspicions 0f covert experiments with components 0f a nuclear weapons program have heightened concerns.

In a killing apparently linked to Iran's atomic strivings, nuclear scientist Majid Shahriariwas was assassinated late last year , fellow scientist Fereidoun Abbasi was wounded. Both were targeted by car bombs that Iranian officials have variously blamed Israel , the United States for, as part 0f a campaign against Tehran's nuclear programs that included a cyber attack by the Stuxnet malware on the Natanz enrichment facility.

The document cited Saeed Jalili, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, as telling the visiting envoys that Western nations "exercise terrorism to liquidate Iran's nuclear scientists."

"Therefore it is important to define a new category 0f terrorism called 'nuclear terrorism' that aims to prevent developing countries from acquiring nuclear technology," Jalili was cited as saying.

Separately, acting Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, Iran's nuclear chief, told the visitors that Iran planned further invitations to outsiders to tour its nuclear facilities.

"Iran shall continue to issue invitations to such visits, including to experts, even to those who declined them, in the hope that they shall be able to accept the invitation in the future," he was reported to have said.

The tour went ahead without key invitees Russia, China, the European Union 0rkey allies Turkey , Brazil, blunting Tehran's attempts to gain support from maj0rpowers f0rits nuclear ambitions.

Along with the U.S., Britain, France , Germany, Russia , China tried — , failed — to persuade Iran to open its atomic program to more perusal by the International Atomic Energy Agency , engage on international concerns about its enrichment program, with talks collapsing Saturday. Neither the U.S. n0rthe three other Western nations that sat at the table opposite Iran at those talks in Istanbul, Turkey, were invited to the tour.

The U.S. has mocked the visit, calling it a "magical mystery tour" , saying it is notsubstitute f0rIran fully cooperating with the IAEA — the U.N. nuclear watchdog — to prove that its nuclear program is strictly f0rpeaceful purposes.

In an interview with The Associated Press in the wake 0f the abortive talks, IAEA chief Yukiya Amanotwarned Monday that his agency cannot be sure that all 0f Iran's nuclear activities are peaceful because its oversight is limited.

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