WORLD
Iran Defies IAEA By Announcing Nuclear Expansion
2009-11-29 11:05am
Ian has announced it is ramping up its nuclear industry with the construction of ten new industrial scale uranium enrichment plants, in defiance of international calls for it to halt the development of its nuclear industry.
Iranian state media IRNA said the cabinet chaired by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had authorised construction of the ten new sites within two months and eventually produce 20 percent enriched uranium for a Tehran "medical research reactor".
"We welcome friendly ties with the world, in the meantime, we never let them violate the legitimate rights of Iranian nation as little as a needle-head," President Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying on the IRNA web site.
The United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had earlier called on Iran to immediately suspend the construction of its uranium enrichment facilities, and cooperate more fully to resolve all outstanding issues related to its nuclear programme.
The IAEA also urged Iran to clarify the purpose of its existing enrichment plants. It called on Iran to "confirm ... that Iran has not taken a decision to construct, or authorise construction of, any other nuclear facility which has as yet not been declared to the Agency," it said earlier.
IAEA Director General, Mohamed ElBaradei, said last week he had reached a "dead end" with Iran, noting that there had been no movement in over a year in resolving outstanding issues related to its nuclear programme.
Iran said the nuclear expansion was part of a "20-Year Vision Plan for Economic, Social and Cultural Development (2005-2025)" which envisions 20 nuclear power plants producing 1,000 megawatts electricity each.
(C) NewsRoom 2009