U.S. Urges IAEA to Deny Iran Reactor Aid

[jpak]

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/w-me/2006/nov/20/112001403.html

VIENNA, Austria (AP) - The United States on Monday urged the International Atomic Energy Agency to deny aid to Iran in building a plutonium-producing reactor but said it would not oppose Tehran's requests for aid on seven other projects.

The decision reflected U.S. recognition that it was useless to try to block IAEA help to Iran on all eight projects because of opposition by most of the agency's 35-nation board. It also appeared prompted by an IAEA ruling that neither the reactor nor the other projects posed a proliferation threat.

"We are prepared to join consensus" on approving the seven other requests from Iran if the agency's board agrees to deny aid to Iran on building the Arak research reactor, said Gregory L. Schulte, the chief U.S. delegate to the IAEA.

But Schulte suggested there would be no compromise on Arak, describing it as being "capable of producing plutonium for one or more nuclear weapons each year," once completed, likely in the next decade.

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