November 24, 2007	Saturday	Ziqa’ad 13, 1428

VIENNA, Nov 23: The UN atomic watchdog wrapped up a two-day debate on Iran’s disputed atomic drive here on Friday, urging Tehran to suspend uranium enrichment and open up its nuclear programme to UN inspections.

The Iran issue has been the main topic of a regular year-end meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s 35-member board.

Debate focussed on a rather mixed report by IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei on Tehran’s willingness to cooperate in a four-year investigation into the extent and nature of its nuclear drive.

There were clear divisions on the board about how best to persuade Iran to toe the line, with western members like the United States and Europe pushing for a new round of UN sanctions if outstanding questions are not resolved by the end of this year. However, other countries, such as the so-called Non-Aligned Movement, a bloc headed by Cuba and including India and South Africa, rejected the path of sanctions.

Nevertheless, one diplomat who attended the meeting insisted that the overwhelming majority of members backed ElBaradei’s call for Iran to cooperate further, and to comply with UN Security Council resolutions, including suspension of enrichment.

Among them were Russia and China, who have previously refused to sign up to the campaign for additional sanctions, the diplomat said on condition of anonymity.

The enrichment issue forms the crux of the current stand-off with Iran, which the West believes is pursuing and even expanding the process in a covert drive to build a bomb.

Iran insists it is merely seeking a technology to generate electricity for a growing population and is adamant it will not suspend enrichment.—AFP