[News] Iran - Intl. law forbids attack on nuclear sites

[Anti-Imperialist News]

Iran's envoy to the International Atomic Energy 
Agency says attacking or threatening to attack 
nuclear facilities is in violation of the UN charter.

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/139255.html
Wed Aug 18, 2010 7:0PM

"According to Resolution 533 of the IAEA, 
attacking or threatening to attack operational or 
under-construction nuclear facilities is a 
blatant violation of the UN charter, IAEA statute 
and international regulations," Ali Asghar Soltanieh said Wednesday.

"The remarks made by the former US envoy to the 
UN (Story follows below) show Washington's 
warmongering and aggressive attitude as well as 
its violation of international laws," Soltanieh 
said in reference to John Bolton hinting that 
Israel has only one week to attack the Bushehr power plant.

"(If not stopped), Iran will achieve something 
that no other opponent of Israel, no other enemy 
of the United States in the Middle East really 
has and that is a functioning nuclear reactor," Bolton said on Monday.

He said that once fuel rods are loaded into the 
reactor, "attacking it means a release of 
radiation," suggesting that any attack should 
take place before the injection of fuel.

Soltanieh went on to add that some statements 
imply that until fuel rods are not transferred 
into the reactor's building, nuclear facilities 
cannot claim international immunity.

"According to Resolution 533 of the agency
 
attacking or threatening to attack nuclear 
facilities without nuclear materials is also 
considered violation of international laws," the Iranian official explained.

Iran's first nuclear power plant in Bushehr built 
by Russia is expected to become operational on Aug. 21.

MYA/HGH/MMN
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- FoxNews.com
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/08/17/israel-weeks-end-strike-iran-nuclear-facility-bolton-says/

  - August 17, 2010


Israel Has Until Week's End to Strike Iran Nuclear Facility, Bolton Says

Israel has until the weekend to launch a military 
strike on Iran's first nuclear plant before the 
humanitarian risk of an attack becomes too great, 
former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton said Tuesday.
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fox news


Israel has until the weekend to launch a military 
strike on Iran's first nuclear plant before the 
humanitarian risk of an attack becomes too great, 
former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton said Tuesday.

A Russian company is expected to help Iran start 
loading nuclear fuel into its plant on Saturday, 
after which an attack on the Bushehr reactor 
could trigger harmful radiation, which Israel 
wants to avoid, Bolton said. So unless the 
Israelis act immediately to shut down the facility, it will be too late.

"Once it's close to the reactor ... the risk is 
when the reactor is attacked, there will be a 
release of radiation into the air," Bolton told 
FoxNews.com. "It's most unlikely that they would 
act militarily after fuel rods are loaded."

Earlier Tuesday, Bolton told Fox Business Network 
the Israelis will have to move in the "next eight 
days" if they want to attack the Bushehr facility 
-- a reference to the window between when the 
start-up was announced last week and the loading 
date. Bolton said Tuesday that the date has 
fluctuated, but he described the start-up as the ultimate deadline.

Michael Oren, Israel's ambassador to the United 
States, told Fox News that the nation is hopeful 
sanctions -- passed by the United Nations, 
European Union and United States -- will "modify" 
Iran's behavior. Oren said Israel is "committed" 
to the sanctions program and will assess its impact at a later date.

"Until that time, the position of the government 
of Israel -- as the position of the Obama 
administration -- is that all options will remain 
on the table," he said, without commenting directly on Bolton's remarks.

Though Iranian officials insist the reactor is 
for peaceful purposes, Bolton warned about the 
danger of the up-and-running reactor.

"What this does is give Iran a second route to 
nuclear weapons in addition to enriched uranium," 
Bolton said. "It's a very, very huge victory for Iran."

Bolton, who was U.S. ambassador during the Bush 
administration, expressed doubt that Israel was 
planning a military strike but suggested it's an open question.

"If they were going to do anything, they 
certainly wouldn't be talking about it," he said.

He noted that the reactor gives Iran something 
that both Iraq and Syria were never able to 
achieve because their facilities were destroyed.

"Iran will have achieved something that no other 
opponent of Israel, no other enemy of the United 
States really in the Middle East has, and that is 
a functioning nuclear reactor," he said on Fox Business Network.

Iranian officials on Tuesday warned Israel not to 
take military action. Iranian media quoted Ahmad 
Vahidi, Iran's defense minister, as saying Israel 
would be taking a huge risk with such an attack.

"We may lose a power plant, but the whole 
existence of the Zionist regime will be 
jeopardized," Vahidi was quoted as saying.

The reactor project has been in existence for 
decades, but the Russians have helped push it to 
the finish line. Russian state firm Rosatom 
announced last week that the Bushehr facility 
would be starting up on Aug. 21. According to the 
Iranian state Mehr news agency, the head of that 
company, Sergey Novikov, says the plant "just generates electricity."




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