The Israeli newspaper Haaretz yesterday published a disturbing report alleging that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the U.N.’s “nuclear watchdog”, has willfully suppressed evidence that Iran is continuing efforts to develop a nuclear weapon. Citing anonymous Israeli officials and “senior Western diplomats”, reporter Barak Ravid wrote that controversial IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei “was refraining from publishing evidence obtained by [his] inspectors over the past few months that indicate Iran was pursuing information about weaponization efforts and a military nuclear program.” If true, such irresponsible efforts to cover up …
Although folks like President Obama, U.N. chief Ban Ki-Moon, and IAEA head Mohamed ElBaradei have long dreamed of a nuclear-free world, it’s time to get real and admit that the road to zero they want to take is unlikely to get us there. Proponents of denuclearization may have the best of intentions, but their belief that others will quickly rid themselves of nukes only if the U.S. does it first is unrealistic. As Heritage Vice President Kim Holmes explains in today’s Washington Times, their claims don’t stand up to the …
Since 2003, when negotiations began over Iran’s nuclear program, there has been no shortage of warnings, reports and punitive sanctions voiced, written or imposed by the international community. (A quick count shows at least three punitive European Union sanctions, four US sanctions, five U.N. resolutions, 20 IAEA reports, and an untold number of informal warnings.) Unfortunately, none have succeeded in slowing–much less stopping–Iran’s atomic ambitions, which many increasingly believe has a military dimension. But despite this track record, President Nicholas Sarkozy of France issued yet another ultimatum, stating: “Group of …
This morning Heritage Research Fellow Jack Spencer testified before the Committee of Foreign Affairs to discuss nonproliferation in the era of a nuclear renaissance. The full written testimony can be found here. Below is a highlighted summary of the oral testimony: While the nonproliferation regime is under stress, it is not broken. That being said, there is no question that a global nuclear renaissance will present new and unique challenges. But if met appropriately, I believe that a global nuclear renaissance is not incompatible with nonproliferation objectives. The challenge for …
