Buchanan
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- May 19, 2009
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Iran nuclear plans 'revealed' on Web site!
(CNN) -- An online news organization has published what it said is a copy of Iran's proposals to the United Nations which were supposed to address international concerns about its nuclear program.
This week, Iran distributed its proposals to the diplomatic representatives of the U.N. Security Council's five permanent members, plus Germany.
The proposals have not been released to the public and CNN cannot independently verify that the five-page document on ProPublica.org is the actual proposal submitted to the U.N.
ProPublica.org describes itself as an independent news organization that "produces investigative journalism in the public interest."
The United States -- one of the permanent members, or "P-5" -- believes Iran's proposals are "not really responsive" to the concerns about its nuclear program, State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said Thursday.
The United States has accused Tehran of concealing a nuclear weapons program. The Islamic republic insists its program is strictly for civilian power.
In the document on ProPublica's Web site -- titled "Cooperation for Peace, Justice, and Progress" -- Iran does not address its own nuclear program, offering vague notions instead.
"The Iranian nation is prepared to enter into dialogue and negotiation in order to lay the ground for lasting peace and regionally inspired and generated stability for the region and beyond and the continued progress and prosperity of the nations of the region and the world," one passage states.
U.S. President Barack Obama has promised diplomatic engagement with Tehran, but has warned that the world will not "wait indefinitely" and allow Iran to build nuclear weapons
The document on ProPublica.org only mentions specific nuclear issues on two occasions: to restate Iran's desire to reform the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog agency, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Iran insists it has the right under the 1968 Non-Proliferation Treaty to produce nuclear fuel for civilian power, which it says is the goal of its work. But the United States has accused Iran of trying to conceal work toward a nuclear weapon, and the IAEA reported earlier this year that Iran's work had "military dimensions."
Crowley said Washington remains interested in direct talks with Iran on a number of issues. But he said Tehran's latest proposals continue to insist that its nuclear file is "closed."
"That is certainly not the case," he said.
Iran has failed to clear up questions about the goals of its nuclear program with the IAEA, Crowley said, and it has defied a Security Council demand that it halt its production of enriched uranium.
U.S. diplomats have discussed Iran's proposals with the other permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and Germany -- the "P-5 Plus One" -- and will talk with them again Friday.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs would not specifically address the most recent proposals, saying "the offer is still being evaluated by the P-5 Plus One."
"I would say Iran's proposals have time and again failed to live up to its international obligations," Gibbs said Thursday.
Iran's state-run media said the list of proposals submitted to the United States, China, France, Russia, Britain and Germany addressed "global issues" including suggestions on its nuclear program.
IAEA Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei said Monday that Iran has reached a "stalemate" with the watchdog agency.
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