Paris, 17 August 2009

In a letter to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General, Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre's Director for International Relations, Dr Shimon Samuels, referred to "a draft resolution submitted by the Islamic Republic of Iran, 'prohibiting armed attacks against nuclear installations', for consideration by the 150 nation IAEA General Conference, that will convene in Vienna on 14 September."

Samuels pointed out that "the same body, in September 1990, passed a resolution entitled, 'Prohibition of All Armed Attacks Against Nuclear Installations Devoted to Peaceful Purposes, Whether Under Construction or in Operation'."

The letter asked whether "we are to understand that the new Iranian draft is to cover 'Nuclear Installations Devoted to Non-Peaceful Purposes'?"

Samuels added that "more intriguing is the paternity of the current draft. The IAEA website is replete with references to Iranian contraventions of IAEA controls procedures, and Tehran has shown means, motive and opportunity for nuclear weaponization:

• means: The hypocrisy of international suppliers of strategic dual-usage precursors that violate EU, US and UN sanctions, which provide Iran with independent uranium enrichment and plutonium production military capacity.
• motive: Aggressive declarations against Western interests – with threats 'to wipe Israel off the map' – are backed by a self-righteous Jihadist divine sanction.
• opportunity: As terrorist patron of Hizbollah, Hamas and other mass murderers, Iran can pass on its nuclear capacity to non-state third parties, while claiming innocence for the consequences."

The letter also noted that, "in discreet conversations, Emirate leaders express apprehension that an earthquake beneath the far underground Natanz uranium installation would – Chernobyl multiplied a thousand over – destroy the Gulf and, with it, bankrupt the Western financial structure on which it is based."

The Centre urged the IAEA "to reject this 'wolf in sheeps' clothing' resolution as an exercise in hypocrisy, and to replace it with an exposure of Iran's aggressive nuclear objectives, including measures to contain Tehran's policy as a threat to the international community."

"A Yiddish word, growingly current in English usage, well describes the tragicomic absurdity of the Iranian draft resolution. It is 'HUTZPA', defined as 'the man charged with murdering his parents who appeals for clemency as he is an orphan'", remarked Samuels.