IAEA spokesman comments on LA Times report
Vienna, Aug 4, IRNA -- A spokesman for the international nuclear
watchdog, the Vienaa-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA),
Lothar Wedekind, commented here Monday on a report by the Los Angeles
Times that Iran is in the process of producing a nuclear bomb.
"The IAEA work is specialized and technical and it is not
our responsibility to respond to any published press news," Wedekind
told IRNA.
"Nuclear experts of the agency are examining various issues at
the invitation of Iran and a team of such experts have left for Iran
today (Monday)," he added.
"Iran is striving to become the world's next nuclear power and
appears to be in the late stages of developing the capacity to build a
nuclear bomb," said the Los Angeles Times report in its Monday
edition, adding that its assessment is based on the results of an
independent probe.
The newspaper said its three-month investigation drew on
previously secret reports, international officials, independent
experts, Iranian exiles and intelligence sources and uncovered
strong evidence that Iran's nuclear energy program masked a military
undertaking.
"Scientists from Russia, China, North Korea and Pakistan, and
technology have propelled Iran's nuclear program much closer to
producing a bomb than Iraq ever was," the report further said.
The LA Times reported the report in spite of the fact that
various groups of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the only
agency responsible for monitoring nuclear activities, have visited
Iran and have given reports on Iran's peaceful nuclear activities.
A team of experts of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
headed for Tehran Monday to brief Iranian officials on the technical
details of the Additional Protocol to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation
Treaty (NPT) which it is urged to sign.
Another team will also be coming to Iran next week after the first
team has returned.
SF/LS/210
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