Originally published on the CGS blog on November 10, 2011.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) released a report on Tuesday that presented substantial evidence that Iran has an active secret program to become a nuclear power. The report established that Iran has taken many steps towards developing a nuclear weapon, including engaging in efforts to obtain a secure source of uranium, creating computer models of nuclear explosions, and researching nuclear triggers. Additionally, it has experimented with conventional explosives to compress metal into a dense mass able to start a chain reaction and has built a large containment vessel intended for testing the feasibility of such explosive compression. In the words of the report, this “information indicates that Iran has carried out activities relevant to the development of a nuclear device.”
Yukiyo Amano, Director General of the IAEA, stated that the information came from more than 1000 documents, from more than 10 countries with intelligence on Iran’s nuclear program, and numerous officials involved in Iran’s nuclear activities. This vast amount of evidence against Iran is undeniable. While the report does not make an estimate of when Iran will achieve nuclear capability, and actually stresses that such a date is not immediately imminent, it is clear that Iran has been lying about the fact that their research only focuses on generating nuclear energy.
The findings legitimize U.S. claims about Iran’s weapons program and promote the need for continued international cooperation on the issue of non-proliferation. The prevention of Iran’s development into a nuclear power has long been a U.S. foreign policy goal, in both Democratic and Republican administrations, and it is crucial that the United States remain engaged in working with global partners to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapon capability.
This report underscores the importance of the work done by the IAEA, an organization that reports to the United Nations Security Council. Our intelligence agencies and policy decision makers need the IAEA to supplement our own investigations and promote international cooperation to condemn and pressure Iran. There is absolutely no doubt that the work of the IAEA is crucial to our national security.
That’s why Congress must act now to ensure that nothing will ever prevent the IAEA from carrying out its crucial mission of nuclear non-proliferation. As reported on our blog recently, Palestine has begun applying to become a member-state of U.N. organizations, starting with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. The IAEA is one of the most likely organizations to which Palestine could next apply for membership. If successful, the United States would have to withdraw funding to the IAEA, as is required by law, just as the United States was forced to defund UNESCO for their decision to admit Palestine as a member. Indeed, the airtight law requires an immediate withdrawal of funds for any U.N. organization that officially recognizes Palestine as a member.
Obviously UNESCO is an important organization that promotes American interests and values. As stated in a recent blog by CGS’s CEO Don Kraus, “[UNESCO] advocates for freedom of the press and the promotion of an independent media around the globe. It manages a tsunami warning system in the Pacific…The organization assists the United States in its transitions out of Iraq and Afghanistan, by preparing communities and governments for the withdrawal of U.S. forces.” These are just a few examples of the important efforts of UNESCO that benefit the United States.
The IAEA is of equal, if not greater, importance to the United States. Should the IAEA accept Palestine as a member, U.S. withdrawal from the agency could have dire consequences to our national security. We simply cannot even entertain the thought of undermining its ability to investigate Iran and oversee the use of atomic energy worldwide. If Congress does not act now to repeal these laws or provide President Obama with the ability to authorize waivers to them, we risk losing a seat at the table from one of the most vital international organizations with which we engage and severely weakening our ability to promote multilateral action against Iran for its weapon program.
Should Iran become a nuclear power, there would be a direct threat not only to the U.S., but also to Israel, exactly the ally we claim to be protecting with our law against U.N. organizations recognizing Palestine. It is time to set politics aside and take action now to prevent any future danger to our national security. Please sign our petition to stand with us, demanding Congress to tear down the roadblocks for full funding of U.N. organizations today.
