FOX SPECIAL REPORT WITH BRIT HUME (18:13) June 19, 2003
IAEA Urges Iran to Allow Inspections of Probable Nuclear Sites
HUME: The U.N.'s nuclear monitoring agency issued a report today that urged Iran to allow unfettered, international inspections of facilities that might be used to develop nuclear weapons. And while that report may not rise to see the level of what the president called for yesterday, the White House welcomed its release nonetheless.
For more, Fox News' Teri Schultz reports.
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TERI SCHULTZ, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The U.S.'s high hopes for international condemnation of Iran's nuclear program turned into a wistful welcoming of a statement simply urging more compliance from Iran. International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohammed Elbaradei released the board of governor's final statement.
MOHAMED ELBARADEI, DIRECTOR GENERAL, IAEA: The board shared my concern about the failure of Iran to declare certain activities, materials, and facilities and took note of the corrective actions being taken by Iran.
SCHULTZ: This after a report prepared by Elbaradei: earlier this month illuminated that Iran has not truthfully reported its nuclear activities, which fueled U.S. hopes that other countries would back a resolution, harshly criticizing Iran at the IAEA meeting. That didn't happen.
But White House spokesman Ari Fleischer characterized the statement positively, nonetheless. "It's international reinforcement that the world, broadly speaking, joins together in fighting proliferation and making certain that Iran does not develop nuclear weapons," Fleischer said.
Officials behind the scenes acknowledge more disappointment with the outcome. After all, the Iranians came out saying it was, quote, "the best result they could have expected."
ALI SALEHI, IRANIAN DELEGATION: There was an overwhelming understanding by the board members that this is -- that Iran has been forthcoming, that Iran has been cooperating.
SCHULTZ: But some say Iran should parse the words of President Bush carefully for the real bottom line.
BUSH: The international community must coming to make it very clear to Iran that we will not tolerate the construction of a nuclear weapon.
JOHN PIKE, GLOBALSECURITY.ORG: "Will not tolerate," indicated to me that the United States is determined to shut down Iran's atomic bomb program by diplomacy, but by force if necessary.
SCHULTZ (on camera): Now whether Iran interprets the president's statement as meaning there's stronger international pressure or unilateral action looming, there's a good chance of both down the road if Tehran doesn't end its efforts to acquire a nuclear weapon and allow IAEA inspectors in to prove it. It doesn't seem to have any inclination to do either of these things as of today.
In Washington, Teri Schultz, Fox News.
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