CASMII Press Release (www.campaigniran.org)
Following
the release of IAEA's latest report on Iran last week, a number of
scaremongering anti-Iran headlines appeared in the Western media. The LA times
chose its headline as "Iran has enough fuel for a nuclear bomb". The New York
Times went for "Iran Said to Have Nuclear Fuel for One Weapon" and FOX news
reported: "Iran Produces Enough Uranium to Build Nuclear Weapon". In the UK, the
Daily Telegraph's article titled "Iran has enough uranium 'to build a nuclear
bomb'" and the Daily Mail announced: "Iran 'has the fuel to build nuclear
bomb'". The anti-Iran articles also gave the impression that Iran had
deliberately underreported the production of low enriched uranium at Natanz.
In response to questions by Dr. Kaveh Afrasiabi,
the IAEA spokesperson, Melissa Fleming, has issued a statement clarifying the
IAEA's position regarding the misleading articles in the US and European press
concerning Iran's production of low-enriched uranium.
IAEA Statement issued by Melissa Fleming
on Sunday February 22, 2009.
Here is our clarifying response:
There have been a number of reports in the media
commenting that Iran has underreported the production of low enriched uranium at
Natanz. In this regard, it is important to note that:
As for the question about the amount of LEU and what that equates, this is a
question we get following every report. It has been deemed a matter of great
public interest how much nuclear material Iran has produced. It is our job to
put that into perspective, which we also attempted to do with the media in this
case. The word "theoretical" meant just that and it was explained the other
steps, implications and consequences that would be needed for any country under
IAEA safeguards to take it further.
