Iran charged with running covert nuclear weapons program
The Los Angeles Times says it has firm evidence that Iran is running a covert operation to build nuclear weapons.
The paper said Iran was closer to acquiring weapons of mass destruction than Iraq ever was.
Iran’s up front commercial nuclear energy program hid something more sinister, the Times implied.
White House spokesman Scott McClellan said: “It is a matter that remains a serious concern. We’re working with the international community. We’re working with the IAEA to make sure that they do not continue on this course, which is unacceptable.”
According to some experts, Iran, situated on US President Bush’s “axis of evil”, alongside Iraq and North Korea, could have atomic weapons within two to three years.
The Times gleaned data from a French intelligence report which claimed Iran was “surprisingly close” to enriching uranium or plutonium for a bomb.
And it was reported last month that UN nuclear inspectors found traces of enriched uranium in environmental samples taken during tests.
The newspaper also claimed Iran had received scientific assistance and technology from China, North Korea, Russia and Pakistan.
A three-man team of international nuclear experts ended two days of talks in Iran on Tuesday, where they called on Tehran to permit more in-depth inspections of its nuclear facilities.
