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Iran must come clean about its activities
Complete transparency is non-negotiable when it comes to nuclear programmes
- Gulf News
- Published: 22:53 September 27, 2009
Iran has been wrong to hide the existence of its second uranium enrichment site, even if President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government is right when it says that the plant has had no military purpose. The key to successful development of nuclear power around the world is a diplomatic environment in which all countries are completely transparent about their nuclear plans. Such exceptional transparency is vital because of the all-too-easy possibility that enriched uranium can be diverted for illegal military purposes.
When Foreign Minister Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan addressed the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday, he emphasised how important it is for Iran to work with the International Atomic Energy Agency and the international community to allay fears about the purpose of its nuclear programme, in the wider context of a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction.
Enrichment sites take years to plan and build, and Iran should have been open about its plans. The whole nuclear dispute with Iran hinges on international belief that it is telling the truth when it says that it has no secrets and no military intent. Clearly, not disclosing the existence of an enrichment plant destroys trust.
The first answer is that Iran should sign the IAEA's Additional Protocol, which would allow the authority to carry out inspections in Iran whenever and wherever it wants, without prior announcement and without prior agreement. The vast majority of nations with nuclear power programmes have signed the protocol, and Iran should do so too as this would put the world's mind at rest.
Second, Iran should also make clear whether it has any more nuclear sites that it has kept secret. Complete transparency is the only way that a secure nuclear future with lots of carbon-clean energy is possible, which is vital for most of the world.
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