uly 11 issue - Iran has been one of Mohamed ElBaradei's biggest worries since International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors uncovered the country's secret nuclear program in 2003. Last week, in his first interview since winning a third term as IAEA director-general, ElBaradei talked to NEWSWEEK's Christopher Dickey about Iran, the bomb and how the election of hard-liner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as president might alter the equation.
DICKEY: Do you see any indications of where Ahmadinejad is likely to take this?
ELBARADEI: Our Iranian colleagues have been saying this is business as usual, and I hope that's the case.
Can Iran be believed in this situation?
Iran needs to provide objective guarantees that their program is for peaceful purposes. In the view of the Europeans and the Americans, the only objective guarantee is termination of the fuel cycle. The Iranians are saying, "No, there could be other ways to provide objective guarantees."
Your own documentation shows a pattern of deceit on the part of the Iranians.
Because of Iran's policy of concealment over a number of years, Iran has created a confidence deficit. Of course they say, "We were forced into that situation because of the sanctions, so we had to go underground." But... Iran needs to go out of its way not just to play by the book, but to be fully transparent, fully proactive, to build that confidence... The concerns of Europe and the U.S. are now clear, starting with the nuclear issue, followed by regional security, followed by human-rights issues. For the Iranians it's the feeling that they are being isolated in the region, that they are being ostracized. So this is really the essence of this dialogue. The nuclear issue is the tip of the iceberg, but if you look a little bit deeper you see lots of other issues. To me, the nuclear will only be settled as part of that package.
What do you think Iran wants out of all this?
Obviously it wants to get the maximum technology, and not just nuclear... All the modern technology—Airbus, Boeing. They need the technology to modernize. And I think they understand that the fuel cycle enables them to be part of the "big boys" club, and it's a smart insurance policy, if they can get that, because again, it sends a message to their neighbors. Iran wants to be a major player in the whole Middle East, which is being reshaped right now... I don't want to speak for them, but they also would like to normalize their relationship, ultimately, with the U.S. Their dialogue with Europe is a bridge toward their ultimate normalization with the U.S.... It is not just the nuclear issue, it is the whole future of the Middle East, it is the whole future of regional security, global security. That's why it makes it more difficult, and that's why it takes time, and that's why people should be patient. As long as they are talking, I'm comfortable. As long as the fuel cycle is suspended, as long as they are making progress, keep at it.
What is the risk that talks will collapse?
I am still hoping that at the end of the day, with all the posturing, nobody can afford a confrontation. Confrontation is a lose-lose proposition.
it's the first word that came to my mind...i swear!!
DICKEY: Do you see any indications of where Ahmadinejad is likely to take this?
ELBARADEI: Our Iranian colleagues have been saying this is business as usual, and I hope that's the case.
Can Iran be believed in this situation?
Iran needs to provide objective guarantees that their program is for peaceful purposes. In the view of the Europeans and the Americans, the only objective guarantee is termination of the fuel cycle. The Iranians are saying, "No, there could be other ways to provide objective guarantees."
Your own documentation shows a pattern of deceit on the part of the Iranians.
Because of Iran's policy of concealment over a number of years, Iran has created a confidence deficit. Of course they say, "We were forced into that situation because of the sanctions, so we had to go underground." But... Iran needs to go out of its way not just to play by the book, but to be fully transparent, fully proactive, to build that confidence... The concerns of Europe and the U.S. are now clear, starting with the nuclear issue, followed by regional security, followed by human-rights issues. For the Iranians it's the feeling that they are being isolated in the region, that they are being ostracized. So this is really the essence of this dialogue. The nuclear issue is the tip of the iceberg, but if you look a little bit deeper you see lots of other issues. To me, the nuclear will only be settled as part of that package.
What do you think Iran wants out of all this?
Obviously it wants to get the maximum technology, and not just nuclear... All the modern technology—Airbus, Boeing. They need the technology to modernize. And I think they understand that the fuel cycle enables them to be part of the "big boys" club, and it's a smart insurance policy, if they can get that, because again, it sends a message to their neighbors. Iran wants to be a major player in the whole Middle East, which is being reshaped right now... I don't want to speak for them, but they also would like to normalize their relationship, ultimately, with the U.S. Their dialogue with Europe is a bridge toward their ultimate normalization with the U.S.... It is not just the nuclear issue, it is the whole future of the Middle East, it is the whole future of regional security, global security. That's why it makes it more difficult, and that's why it takes time, and that's why people should be patient. As long as they are talking, I'm comfortable. As long as the fuel cycle is suspended, as long as they are making progress, keep at it.
What is the risk that talks will collapse?
I am still hoping that at the end of the day, with all the posturing, nobody can afford a confrontation. Confrontation is a lose-lose proposition.
it's the first word that came to my mind...i swear!!
