Editorial
Support the Just Stand of the Iranian People and Government Against the
Bullying of the United States and EU
A special meeting of the International Atomic
Energy Agency's (IAEA) Board of Governors will be held on February 2 in Vienna
to once again deliberate on the issue of Iran's nuclear energy program. The
meeting was formally requested by France, Germany and Britain (EU-3). They are accusing
Iran of violating its nuclear treaty obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation
Treaty (NPT). They want the Board of Governors to refer the matter to the
United Nations Security Council where the United States, France and Britain
will press for some kind of punitive action against Iran. The Canadian
government has fallen into step with the United States and the EU-3. On January
12 it issued a statement accusing Iran
of "non-compliance" with the NPT, supporting the call for the special
meeting, and supporting Security Council action against Iran.
The United States, the EU-3 and the Canadian
government are using the big lie technique. Together with the mass media in
these countries, their state officials repeat time and again that Iran is
building nuclear weapons even though there is not a shred of evidence to prove
it. They are building their
"case" against Iran in the same manner that the United States and
Britain built their "case" against Iraq on the issue of "weapons
of mass destruction". Ultimately,
the issue of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq was exposed as a lie and scare-mongering
diversion and as a cover for naked aggression and the violation of
international law by the United States and Britain.
Now the United States, the EU-3 and the
Canadian government are going down the same disastrous road with no regard to
the consequences which could be far greater than ever before. The United States
and the EU-3 are presenting themselves as the victims of smaller countries like
Iran that dare to stand up for their national rights and dare to oppose the big
powers. The EU-3 unilaterally cancelled their talks with Iran scheduled for
February and together with the United States have declared that "the point
of no return has been reached." French President Chirac, in a not-so
veiled threat against Iran, announced on January 19 that France would use
nuclear weapons to "guarantee our strategic supplies and to defend our
allies" even though these "strategic supplies" (i.e. Iranian
oil) do not belong to France.
This latest hysteria against Iran was
triggered on January 3 when the Iranian government informed the IAEA that it
had decided, which is its right under international law, to resume research and development for its
civilian nuclear energy program. On January 10, in the presence of IAEA
inspectors, Iran removed the seals on its Natanz
uranium enrichment plant and resumed its nuclear fuel research. At the same time, the Iranian government
assured the IAEA that this research would continue to be supervised by the IAEA
and that the Iranian government remained fully committed to the NPT and its obligations
to the IAEA. To date, Iran has allowed 1400 man-hours of inspections by the
IAEA at its nuclear facilities.
As a signatory to the non-proliferation
treaty, Iran and every other party to the agreement have the "inalienable
right...to develop research, production and use of nuclear energy for peaceful
purposes" and the "right to participate in the fullest possible
exchange of equipment, materials and scientific and technological information
for the peaceful uses of nuclear energy."
More than one year ago, Iran voluntarily suspended its research as a
"goodwill gesture”. Prior to this it voluntarily agreed to the IAEA
conducting spot inspections of its nuclear facilities as a
"confidence-building" measure. In return, France, Germany and Britain
were to prevail upon the United States to reverse its campaign of
misinformation, obstruction and intervention against Iran, which it has maintained
since the Islamic revolution in 1979, along with a full economic embargo.
Thirty years ago, the United States had an
agreement to provide 10 nuclear reactors to Iran. This caused no problem for
the United States at the time because the fascist regime of the Shah was a strong
ally of the Americans. This double standard is also evident in the complete
silence of these big powers about Israel's huge nuclear weapons arsenal. Israel
- not a signatory to the NPT - has had this capability for years, and is
believed to have more than 200 nuclear weapons, plus the missiles to deliver
them. It is no secret that it has been threatening strikes on Iran's Bushehr nuclear electric power plant, just as it launched
an unprovoked and illegal attack on Iraq's Osirak
nuclear electric power plant in 1981. Furthermore, the U.S. has recently
concluded an agreement with India for the exchange of nuclear technology,
despite the fact that India refuses to even sign onto the NPT.
No other country except Iran has been asked to
forgo its rights under the NPT. At the same time, the United States and other
nuclear powers have not fulfilled their own obligations under the NPT,
including the obligation that they
"pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating
to cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date and to nuclear
disarmament, and on a Treaty on general and complete disarmament under strict
and effective international control." Instead, they continue to modernize
their nuclear weapons and escalate the arms race.
The threats against Iran by the United States,
Britain, France, Germany and the Canadian government are totally unacceptable
and must be opposed. The Canadian government should reverse its stand and
reject the use of force and diplomatic coercion in the settling of disputes
between countries. Furthermore, it should demand that the nuclear powers
fulfill their own obligations under the non-proliferation treaty.