TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iran has stopped building centrifuges, which can be used for uranium enrichment, in an effort to win the world's trust over its nuclear program, the head of its Atomic Energy Organization said Monday.
| "Yep, got all we need, thanks!" |
The comments by Gholamreza Aghazadeh came with inspectors from the U.N. nuclear agency in Iran to check on its nuclear facilities. Aghazadeh said the suspension of the construction of centrifuges had been ordered by the country's Supreme National Security Council, Iran's top decision-making body.
Iran suspended uranium enrichment last year under strong international pressure over the aims and dimensions of its nuclear program. But it continued to build centrifuges, which are used in enrichment, despite criticism that this violated the spirit of its pledge to cease enrichment. "The Islamic Republic of Iran has voluntarily expanded (the enrichment) suspension to include the production of components and assembly," state television quoted Aghazadeh as saying on its Web site.
An official of the Atomic Energy Organization explained that this referred to centrifuges and said it had been done to build greater trust with the U.N. agency, the International Atomic Energy Organization, and with Iran's European partners.
Who are all such trusting fools souls. |
"So far, we had suspended injecting gas into centrifuges as part of a deal reached with the European countries," the official told The Associated Press, referring to the enrichment suspension. "Now, we have voluntarily suspended production and assembly of centrifuge machines."
"Let the world know that Iran is doing this voluntarily to win greater time trust in the world," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. "Iran is taking this unilateral decision in the expectation that Iran's nuclear dossier will be taken off the IAEA's agenda," he added.
"And all the time, of course, we'll continue to do what we need to do to build an Islamic holy hand grenade bomb." |
Earlier this month, the IAEA rebuked Iran for failing to disclose certain aspects of its nuclear development. Last year IAEA inspectors found radioactive particles that had been enriched to weapons-grade level - higher than what Iran requires for fuel for a nuclear reactor. Iran said the particles had been found on imported equipment. IAEA director Mohammed ElBaradei says Iran has much to do before the U.N. agency can give its nuclear program a clean bill of health.
| When are the students revolting? |
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