Alternatives to War: March 8, 2006

7 p.m., UCSD – Center Hall 113

San Diego, CA

Talk and Discussion with Abbas Edalat, founding member of the Campaign Against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran (CASMII) – www.campaigniran.org.

Join the UCSD Persian Club members to hear alternatives to war.

Located right behind Price Center (There is a long walkway next to Price
Center called Library Walk. On one end is the main library, on the other
end is a building structure Center Hall. 113 is on the first level

Background:

The recent 'reporting' of Iran to the UN Security Council follows some three years of political and economic pressure by the US on the EU-3, other Board members of the IAEA, and China and Russia in particular.  Furthermore, the reporting had no legal basis: It preempted the final report of the IAEA investigation due on March 6th and thus tries to influence and frame the final decision illegally.

Moreover, it has no technical basis: It has no reference to the latest report of the inspectors whose summary states that Iran has continued to cooperate with the IAEA to provide requisite declarations and access to locations in a timely manner as if the Additional Protocol in force. Instead it takes the opposite stance by stressing breaches of Iran's obligations. Its verdict that there is lack of confidence that Iran's program is just for peaceful purposes in not legally tenable.

It is hypocritical. Item (e) of the resolution specifically states that Iran is a special case of verification. This clause has been added to assure other member states of the IAEA Board that they will not be next targeted. As Gordon Prather has said IAEA is in breach of NPT by demanding that Iran should halt its enrichment related activities when there is no shred of evidence after hundreds of snap intrusive visits in two and half years that there is any weaponization program in Iran.

The IAEA resolution to report Iran to the UN Security Council is a  key step for US's war drive against Iran in a replay of the invasion of Iraq for a regime change -  this time in Iran - for the control of its oil resources and for replacing one of the only two defiant regimes in the Middle East to a client state in support of the US and Israel. The massive escalation of threats and reports of military intervention in Iran including by tactical nuclear weapons following the adoption of the IAEA resolution testifies to the real aims of the US.

Those member states who voted for the resolution have allowed the US to abuse an international body such as the IAEA for its political aims. Referral of Iran to the UN Security Council is thus a trap set by the US for Europe, China, Russia and other IAEA board member states.

To prevent a new catastrophic war in the Middle East which can turn into a conflagration in the whole region, we call on the Security Council members, IAEA Board members to resolve Iran's nuclear issues under the auspices of the IAEA itself.