Statement After Board of Governors Meeting on Iran's Nuclear Program

Statement After Board of Governors Meeting on Iran's Nuclear Program

Ambassador Kenneth C. Brill, U.S. Representative to the U.S. Mission to International Organizations in Vienna
Stakeout Outside of Board Room at Conclusion of Board of Governors Meeting
Vienna International Center, Vienna, Austria
September 12, 2003

AMBASSADOR BRILL: I?d like to say that the Board of Governors and the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] just passed a very strong resolution on the question of Iran. A resolution that gives full backing to the Agency?s efforts to get to the bottom of the Iran nuclear issue and to really find what the truth about the Iranian nuclear program is. The Board has considered the issue very carefully for the past week based on the two reports of DG [Director General] and I think it?s very fair to say that there was very broad support in the Board for the Agency speeding up its work to get to the bottom of this. And for Iran, the absolute essential need for Iran, to respond promptly and fully to the outstanding questions the Agency has for it. I think it?s very unfortunate that as we concluded this meeting with the passage of this resolution, without a vote, meaning that nobody objected to it. And our Iranian colleague sought to politicize the issue and brought into the Board a series of threats and political statements and did not choose to address any of the technical issues before us. This is an issue that lends itself to technical resolution. Simple answers to direct questions can bring us to the truth, and that?s what all of us are trying to get to.

Thank you very much.

QUESTION: How do you interpret definitive conclusions, what does that mean to you?

AMBASSADOR BRILL: Definitive conclusions means that we will have before us, a report that adds to the body of knowledge developed by the agency and that based on that we should be able to come to a definitive conclusion as to whether Iran is in compliance with its safeguards agreement. I don?t think it?s any secret to anyone that the United States believes that the evidence to date already indicates that Iran is not in compliance. But, the Board decided to give Iran one last chance to comply with the Agency?s request and the Board?s request that it make available all the information the Agency is asking for and allow access to all the sites and installations the Agency needs to visit and take samples in.

QUESTION: If there are open questions again in November as happened in the last two reports, would you think that the Board should recommend sending it to the Security Council?

AMBASSADOR BRILL: The Board will have to make that decision but we think that finding them in non-compliance it?s quite clear what the obligations of the Agency are with such a finding, the statute calls for us to report to the Security Council that finding of non-compliance.

QUESTION: In walking out the Iranian delegate said he accepts neither the resolution nor the process. How do you interpret that, what does he mean by process and does that jeopardize the whole deadline, the whole next six weeks of what has been decided in the resolution?

AMBASSADOR BRILL: Iran has an obligation to honor its agreements and its commitments and that?s what this Board has been calling on. There is no reason for them not to honor those commitments, not to open up fully, as the IAEA has requested if they are pursuing, as they claim, a peaceful program. If they wish to disrupt that process it can only lead the Board and indeed the international community to conclude that in fact they are not pursuing a peaceful program.

QUESTION: What?s your comment concerning the rejection of the Iranian Delegation of the Draft Resolution and the statement that his country is going to revise its cooperation with the Agency?

AMBASSADOR BRILL: I think I would suggest that indicates that they have something they wish to hide, that they do not want to come to light.

Thank you very much.

[End]