Iran displays 'proof' of western sabotage
Exhibition for local media presents faulty equipment, weapons Islamic Republic claims Israel, US and other western countries used in efforts to sabotage its nuclear progress
After Iran accused Israel, the US and other western countries of sabotaging the Islamic Republic's nuclear program, the Iranian intelligence ministry on Wednesday displayed what it says is "proof" of the sabotage in an attempt to show that Iran has succeeded in thwarting "enemy plots."
At an exhibition open to local media, various exhibits were displayed including industrial equipment intended for the nuclear facilities and the Islamic Republic's strategic infrastructure.
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Following his speech at the UN on Wednesday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad promised that Tehran could "thwart any attempts to sabotage its nuclear facilities."
'Sabotage' efforts displayed
The Iranians claim that western intelligence agencies planted faulty spare parts. Weapons, a gun and knives which the Iranians allege were used by "bomb laying" squads were also displayed.
According to the Iranians, "terrorists and saboteurs" attempted to blow up the Natanz and Fordo nuclear facilities' electric lines last August. At first, Iran refrained from publishing news of the blast, but last week its atomic energy chief, Fereydoun Abbasi-Davani announced the news.
According to reports, the purpose of the blast was to halt the electricity supply to the facility, thus damaging its operations. IAEA inspectors who visited the site a day after the blast did not report any damages.
Iran has recently claimed that Germany's Siemens implanted tiny explosives inside equipment the Islamic Republic purchased for its disputed nuclear program, a charge the technology giant denied.
Guns and kinves used to 'sabotage equipment'
Prominent lawmaker Alaeddin Boroujerdi said Iranian security experts discovered the explosives and removed them before detonation, adding that authorities believe the booby-trapped equipment was sold to derail uranium enrichment efforts.
Iranian news site Khabar Online reported that the exhibition included equipment from "several prominent factories in Germany, the United States, Romania, Ukraine, China, South Korea and Australia. The devices could stop functioning or explode at a specific time."
According to the report, "some of the pieces had an intelligent processor stashed inside to disable them through satellite-emitted signals."
Among the equipment on display was a zirconium powder and metal used in nuclear reactors as a protective layer for fuel rods. The Iranians claim they received a powder with 25% instead of 65% which could sabotage the uranium enrichment process.
An intelligence source at the exhibition said that since the end of 2009 "the sabotage against our nuclear and energy facilities has increased and in recent months has been carried out in against our petrol, gas, communications, nuclear and defense sectors."
Sabotage included cyber attacks
According to the source, "the sabotage activities were carried out at essential facilities such as water, electricity, gas and petrol facilities under the guise of technical work."
The source believes that the sabotage was carried out when the equipment was in the hands of companies who negotiated between Iran and foreign companies for acquiring equipment.
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