Iran Vows to Restart Nuclear Activities

Daily Democrat:

By ALI AKBAR DAREINI Associated Press Writer TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Iran's outgoing president said Wednesday his country will restart some activities that could be used to make atomic weapons no matter what the outcome of talks with key European powers aimed at reducing suspicions about Tehran's nuclear ambitions.

President Mohammad Khatami, who will be replaced by ultraconservative president-elect Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Aug. 6, said the government has already decided to resume uranium reprocessing at a nuclear plant in central Iran.

Reprocessing raw uranium into a gas is a key step before uranium enrichment. Uranium enriched to low levels can be used as fuel in nuclear power plants to generate electricity, but further enrichment makes it suitable for use in a nuclear bomb. The United States fears Iran's nuclear program is aimed at producing weapons. In November, Iran suspended all uranium enrichment-related activities to build international trust and avoid possible U.N. sanctions. But it has repeatedly said the suspension is voluntary and temporary.

In May, Iran agreed with France, Germany and Britain to continue the suspension of enrichment and related activities including reprocessing for as long as the talks continue. In return, the Europeans pledged to come up with a package of economic and other incentives by August in hopes of persuading Iran to make the temporary suspension into a permanent freeze.

Iran has said it is prepared to offer strong guarantees that its nuclear program will not be diverted toward weapons. But Tehran has always maintained it will not give up its right under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes. "Whether the Europeans mention our right in their would-be proposals or not, we will definitely resume work in Isfahan," Khatami said at a news conference after a Cabinet meeting. The Isfahan Uranium Conversion Facility reprocesses raw uranium into a gas, the feedstock for enrichment.

"The end of the deadline is (when) the Europeans come up with their comprehensive plan," said Khatami. "It was expected that they will agree to Isfahan restarting activities. We prefer to do it with their agreement. If they don't, then the decision to resume activities in Isfahan has already been taken by the ruling system."

But Khatami added Iran has "no intention to end suspension of uranium enrichment."

Iran has a uranium enrichment facility in Natanz, about 60 miles north of Isfahan, but such activities were suspended in 2003 under an arrangement between Tehran and the Europeans.

Khatami said the suspension of activities at Isfahan has caused financial and professional damage to Iran, including leaving many scientists without work. Vice President Gholamreza Aghazadeh, who heads the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, said Europe should not expect Iran to do everything unilaterally.

Iran already allows inspections of its nuclear facilities by the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency.

"There is a need for a balance," he told reporters, adding that nuclear negotiations with Europe will be the "biggest challenge" for Ahmadinejad's incoming government. Ahmadinejad has said his country will not pursue atomic weapons but also will not submit to international pressure to abandon its nuclear program, a position in line with what other Iranian leaders have said.

Some Europeans worry that Ahmadinejad, who won presidential elections last month with the backing of hard-line elements of Iran's Islamic regime, could take a tougher stance in talks than the reform-minded administration of Khatami he is replacing.

Before his campaign, Ahmadinejad criticized concessions made by Iran, including the freezing of parts of the nuclear program. But after he won the election, he said he will continue talks with the Europeans.