- WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The
United States on Thursday accused Iran of intimidation with its threats
to stop cooperating with the international community if the U.N. atomic
watchdog agency persists in pressuring Tehran on its nuclear program.
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- But U.S. and European officials told Reuters the threats
seem to be backfiring and Iran, unwilling to risk diplomatic isolation,
was unlikely to follow through.
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- Iran is waging an aggressive multi-pronged offensive
-- including threats to resume uranium enrichment and halt snap inspections
of its nuclear sites -- to persuade next month's International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) board meeting to end an inquiry into its nuclear activities.
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- The offensive includes Iranian threats to deny some imports
from Australia, which has joined the United States in demanding complete
answers about the Islamic republic's nuclear intentions, said one U.S.
official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
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- At a news briefing, State Department spokesman Richard
Boucher said: "We don't think it's appropriate to try to intimidate
the atomic energy agency or its board into overlooking many failures of
Iran to meet its nonproliferation commitments."
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- He spoke after Iranian President Mohammed Khatami told
reporters in Tehran the IAEA's June decision "will have an influence
on our cooperation with the agency."
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- Americans and Europeans are drafting separate resolutions
for IAEA consideration. But officials on both sides say they are more united
than ever in favor of a tough position and the board is expected to reach
consensus on a final version that will keep the pressure on Iran.
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- UPPING THE ANTE
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- Iran is clearly trying to "up the ante" ahead
of the IAEA meeting, but "I don't take the threats too seriously,"
a senior U.S. official said.
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- If Iran withdrew from the nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty
-- including its prohibitions against uranium enrichment and its requirement
for IAEA inspections -- it "would become a pariah to everyone"
and ally itself with North Korea at a time when Tehran seems to want integration
with the world, another U.S. official said.
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- With such threats, the Iranians are further "digging
themselves into a hole," a European diplomat said.
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- Washington insists Tehran is producing nuclear weapons.
The argument was bolstered by revelations last year of an 18-year cover-up
of sensitive nuclear research, which Iran claims is for peaceful purposes
only.
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- Iran last week submitted what it says is a full declaration
of its nuclear activities and it has repeatedly urged the IAEA board of
governors to remove Tehran's case from its agenda. For now, that "is
not possible," a second European diplomat said.
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- The Bush administration has decided that barring some
dramatic new revelation about Iran's program, it cannot win adoption next
month of an IAEA resolution that would send the Iran case to the U.N. Security
Council for possible sanctions.
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- Instead, some U.S. officials now look to the September
IAEA board meeting for what one called a "showdown" on that issue,
although other officials say the controversy could slip into early 2005,
after the U.S. presidential election.
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- U.S. officials say Iran has hidden military-run nuclear
facilities and they have shared information on this with the IAEA. But
IAEA inspectors have had trouble getting access to these sites. This will
be a focus of the June board meeting, officials said.
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- Although the United States and Europe have often been
at odds on Iran, the Europeans are becoming increasingly disillusioned
with Tehran.
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