Iran Will Go to UN Security Council Over Nuclear Work

Iran will be referred to the
United Nations Security Council after a divided nuclear
safeguards group cited the Islamic Republic's intention to make
atomic fuel as evidence its motives might not be ``peaceful.''
The International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-member board
of governors voted today in favor of referring Iran to the UN
Security Council at a later date. The U.S.-backed resolution,
submitted yesterday by French, German and U.K. diplomats, cited
the ``absence of confidence that Iran's nuclear program is
exclusively for peaceful purposes.''
Brazil, China and Russia led a group of 12 counties that
abstained from the vote. Venezuela opposed referral. This is
the first time the board of the Vienna-based IAEA has been
split in a vote since February 2003, when it sent North Korea
to the Security Council.
``Today I see a divided board,'' said IAEA Director
General Mohamed ElBaradei. ``We can ill afford to be divided.''
The agency's board will choose the ``timing and content'' of
its report to the Security Council, ElBaradei said.
Diplomats have negotiated for six days in the Austrian
capital, trying to decide how to deal with Iran's decision to
remove IAEA seals from a uranium-conversion facility on Aug. 9.
Iran, with the world's second-biggest oil reserves, says it
wants to enrich uranium for atomic fuel used to generate
electricity. The U.S. says the Iranian leadership is trying to
produce material to build an atomic bomb.

`Deception, Concealment'

``Iran's pattern of deception, concealment and
confrontation is of increasing concern to the world
community,'' said U.S. ambassador to the IAEA Greg Schulte. He
called Iran's behavior a threat to international ``peace and
security.''
Iran could be formally referred to the Security Council as
soon as the IAEA's next board meeting, on Nov. 24. The Council
has the power to impose economic sanctions.
This is the eighth IAEA resolution in two years
criticizing Iran's nuclear program.
``The U.S. and U.K. wish to eliminate Iran's peaceful
nuclear fuel cycle,'' said Javad Vaidi, deputy director of
Iran's National Security Council. ``They will fail.''
Iran may re-start its uranium enrichment program if it's
sent to the Security Council, Iranian delegate Ali Asghar
Soltani said Sept. 21. ``This is very dangerous to go the way
of confrontation,'' Vaidi, said yesterday.

`Non-Compliance'

Iran is only the fifth country to be found in ``non-
compliance'' of its nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
obligations. The other countries were Libya, Iraq, North Korea
and Romania. All were sent to the UN Security Council.
``This is a resolution with a completely negative focus
that isn't politically objective,'' read a statement
distributed by the Venezuelan delegation.
Under IAEA bylaws, the board of governors is required to
submit a report to the UN's Security Council if a country is in
``non-compliance.''