UN: Iran nuclear dispute shifting to cooperation

[cal04]

Source: Associated Press

The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog said Sunday there is a "shifting of gears" in Iran's confrontation with the West to more cooperation and transparency and he announced that international inspectors would visit Tehran's newly revealed uranium enrichment site on Oct. 25.

The International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei, speaking at a joint news conference in Tehran with Iran's top nuclear official, said his agency "has no concrete proof of an ongoing weapons program in Iran." But the IAEA has "concerns about Iran's future intentions," he said.

"I see that we are at a critical moment. I see that we are shifting gears from confrontation into transparency and cooperation," said ElBaradei.

(snip)
"It is important for us to send our inspectors to do a comprehensive verification of that facility, to assure ourselves that it is a facility that is built for peaceful purposes," ElBaradei said, seated beside Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of Iran's nuclear agency. "We agreed that our inspectors would come here on the 25th of October to do the inspection and to go to Qom and I hope and I trust that Iran will be as transparent with our inspectors team as possible."

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091004/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iran

[bemildred]

1. IAEA to inspect Iran's Qom site Oct. 25

TEHRAN (Reuters) - U.N. experts will inspect Iran's newly disclosed uranium enrichment plant on Oct. 25, the IAEA nuclear agency chief said on Sunday, praising a shift "from conspiracy to cooperation" in Tehran's dealings with the West.

The underground nuclear fuel facility near the holy Shi'ite city of Qom had been kept secret until Iran disclosed its existence last month, setting off an international furore.

Iran agreed with six world powers -- the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany -- in Geneva on Thursday to allow IAEA inspectors unfettered access to the plant in central Iran.

"IAEA inspectors will visit Iran's new enrichment facility, under construction in Qom, on 25th of October," International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohammed ElBaradei told a joint news conference with Iran's nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi.

http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-42898820091004

[Crowman1979]

2. Can't wait for John Bolton's tantrum when this whole thing is settled.

[Andronex]

3. Cooperation ?

It really doesn't matter if Iran bends over backward to allay fears of it's nuclear program, the West won't be satisfied until bombs are falling on Tehran.