Foreign Ministry: IAEA thwarting efforts against Iran
Ministry's director-general launches unprecedented attack on UN nuclear watchdog for 'acting as an obstructive element, whose opinion serve as an excuse for countries to refrain from joining the efforts against Tehran's nuclear program'
"Instead of contributing to the international efforts against Iran, the IAEA is acting as an obstructive element, whose opinions serve as an excuse for countries to refrain from joining the efforts against Tehran," Abramovich said during a discussion of the Iranian issue at the Saban Forum.
Israeli sources explained that ElBaradei was using caution in his criticism of Iran, after being the one who had warned against the war in Iraq, claiming that it did not possess weapons of mass destruction.
"Now he is using the Iranian issue as an outlet for his anger," a senior source at the Foreign Ministry said.
Diplomatic sources in Jerusalem clarified that Abramovich's remarks were the result of ElBaradei's actions, which prevent the world from forming a united international front against Iran.
According to the sources, the process of presenting questions to Tehran by the IAEA is taking too long and is creating a sense of activity, but is actually a process of "foot-dragging" which enables the Iranians to move forward.
Diplomatic sources added that ElBaradei himself had a tendency of "wrapping the agency inspectors' professional report with an introduction and summary remarks which create a political 'spin'."
The sources presented as an example one of the IAEA's recent reports, submitted in February, in which the inspectors ruled that Iran did not provide information on its centrifuges and failed to explain where it got them from.
Israel fears another 'softened' report
Jerusalem is waiting anxiously for the IAEA's next report on Iran, expected to be released in about two weeks.
"This reports is dramatic enough to determine whether the UN Security Council will impose sanctions on Iran for the third time," a diplomatic source said. "If ElBaradei once against provides a positive envelope for the negative findings from Iran, Russia and China will become stronger in their objection to the sanctions."
Diplomatic sources warned that another "softened" report will give the Iranians four more peaceful months to continue with its nuclear production process.
"We are in a race against time, and this is why the Foreign Ministry director-general decided to attack Dr. ElBaradei today," sources in Jerusalem explained.
On Friday, six world powers agreed to push ahead with a third round of tougher sanctions against Iran unless reports later this month indicate Tehran has tried to address their concerns about its nuclear program.
Senior officials from Britain, France, Germany, the United States, Russia and China will meet again on November 19 to assess reports from Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the United Nations atomic watchdog, and from European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana, a Foreign Office spokesman said.
"We have no choice but to make these remarks," a senior Foreign Ministry official told Ynet on Monday. "Elbaradei's statements are beautifying reality and seemingly leaving room for an ongoing dialogue, while in practice Iran is taking advantage of this and moving forward with its plan, which may lead to a nuclear bomb."
