Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

DATE= 11/12/2003

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=IRAN/NUCLEAR (LONG ONLY)

NUMBER=2-309739

BYLINE=JAMES MARTONE

DATELINE= CAIRO

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: Iranian President Mohammed Khatami is voicing optimism his country will avoid U-N Security Council sanctions, despite an I-A-E-A report saying Tehran had secretly produced plutonium in violation of its Non-Proliferation Treaty obligations. James Martone reports from V-O-A's Middle East Bureau in Cairo.

TEXT: President Mohamed Khatami called it natural for Iran to have had what he called "failures" in its nuclear program during the past two decades. But, in his words, "this does not mean we violated the nuclear non-proliferation treaty."

Mr. Khatami was speaking to reporters two-days after the International Atomic Energy Agency reported that Iran, in the past 20 years, had repeatedly violated international obligations, given false or contradictory information on its nuclear ambitions, and had dabbled in activity often associated with bomb-making, such as plutonium production.

The report also said the United Nations' atomic watchdog had found no evidence of a secret-arms program in Iran. And the report praised Iran for its recent "active cooperation and openness."

The Iranian president said he was optimistic the I-A-E-A board, which is meeting next week, would not refer Iran to the U-N Security Council. He said he expected no problems if, as he put it, the I-A-E-A handled "the case technically and legally."

The United States, which has accused Iran of secretly pursuing an atomic-arms program, is expected to push for a vote of non-compliance against Iran at the I-A-E-A meeting. Such a vote could lead to the U-N Security Council's imposing sanctions.

The Iranian president said the most positive point of the I-A-E-A report was that, in his words, "there is nothing to suggest the Islamic Republic of Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons."

Under intense international pressure, Tehran has agreed to allow tougher nuclear inspections and suspend its uranium enrichment program. (SIGNED)

NEB/JM/MAR/FC/RAE