Iranian nuclear chief harshly criticizes atomic agency

(17 Sep 2012) SHOTLIST
1. Pan from cameramen to Iran's nuclear chief, Fereydoun Abbasi, at the International Atomic Energy Agency general conference
2. Close of Abbasi
3. Wide of delegates
4. SOUNDBITE (Farsi) Fereydoun Abbasi, Iran's nuclear chief:
"Terrorists and saboteurs might have infiltrated the agency and might be making covert decisions. We should notify the Director General and his colleagues of this issue, and make the necessary warnings."
5. Mid of IAEA sign
6. SOUNDBITE (Farsi) Fereydoun Abbasi, Iran's nuclear chief:
"The electric power lines from the city of Qom to the Fordo site, the Shahid Ali-Mohammed complex, were cut using explosives. It should be noted that a power cut off is one of the ways to break down centrifuges. Then, during the early hours of the next morning an agency inspector requested to conduct an unannounced inspection. Does this visit have any connection to that detonation? Who other that the IAEA inspectors could have access to the complex in such a short time?"
7. Wide of delegates ++REPEATED SHOT++
8. SOUNDBITE (Farsi) Fereydoun Abbasi, Iran's nuclear chief:
"The Islamic Republic of Iran, based on Islamic teachings, has always opposed and has always denounced the manufacturing and use of weapons of mass destruction. And the supreme leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran has stressed the fact that the production and application of nuclear weapons are forbidden."
9. Various of US Energy Secretary Stephen Chu
10. Wide of Chu at lectern
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Stephen Chu, US Energy Secretary:
"Iran continues a decades-long pattern of evasion regarding questions over the nature of its nuclear programme including those related to possible military dimensions of its nuclear activities. Since November 2011, the IAEA secretariat reported there have been credible information that Iran has conducted activities that were specific to nuclear weapons development prior to the end of 2003. Further it noted that activities relevant to nuclear explosive device design may still be ongoing."
12. Mid of IAEA sign ++REPEATED SHOT++
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Yukiya Amano, IAEA Director-General:
"Iran is not providing the necessary cooperation to enable us to provide credible assurance about the absence of undeclared material and activities. Therefore we cannot conclude that all nuclear material in Iran is in peaceful activities."
14. Wide of convention hall

STORYLINE
Iran's nuclear chief warned on Monday that "terrorists and saboteurs" might have infiltrated the International Atomic Energy Agency in an effort to derail his country's atomic programme.
Fereydoun Abbasi's remarks came as an unprecedentedly harsh attack on the integrity of the United Nations organisation and its probe of allegations that Tehran might be striving to make nuclear arms.
Abbasi also rebuked the US in comments to the IAEA's 55-nation general conference in Vienna, reflecting Iran's determination to continue defying international pressure aimed at curbing its nuclear programme and nudging it toward cooperation with the IAEA inspection.
Tehran denies seeking nuclear arms, and Abbasi, an Iranian vice president whom the agency suspects may have been involved in nuclear weapons research, again insisted on Monday that his country's nuclear programme was aimed only at making reactor fuel and doing medical research.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran, based on Islamic teachings, has always opposed and has always denounced the manufacturing and use of weapons of mass destruction," he told delegates.
But Abbasi's comments on Monday were the harshest to date on the agency itself.

Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter:   / ap_archive  
Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​
Instagram:   / apnews  


You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...