As the U.S. government continues to build its massive nuclear-weapons arsenal and defend its first-strike policy—even against countries that possess no nuclear weapons — it is at the same time stepping up aggression against Iran for pursuing nuclear energy.
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Iran’s nuclear program is not the real reason it is under attack. The U.S. government’s aim is “regime change” in a country whose people declared independence 31 years ago by overthrowing the hated Shah.
The New York Times reported on Oct. 27 that the Obama administration is preparing a list of more onerous demands on Iran than those of one year ago. Then, negotiations took place in Vienna among four member states of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)—Iran, France, Russia and the United States—over a request made by Iran to purchase nuclear fuel for a research reactor, whose production of radioisotopes is for medical purposes.
Nuclear fuel for medical research requires 20 percent enriched uranium, as opposed to the 3.5 percent low-enriched uranium in nuclear power plants, which Iran is already enriching.
Iran’s request for the 20 percent uranium fuel was presented in June 2009 to the IAEA, for its Tehran Research Reactor.
Radioisotopes are used widely for cancer treatment and medical imaging. Currently five countries produce almost all the radioisotopes in the world: Canada, Belgium, France, the Netherlands and South Africa. In late 2009 a worldwide crisis broke out when several of the producers had to stop radioisotope production for plant maintenance.
Iran’s radioisotope production is for its domestic medical use. Iran is also stepping up its national nuclear energy program for the country’s electricity needs.
The international Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty requires that member states provide fuel to other countries for peaceful purposes. But the U.S. government decided to take advantage of Iran’s research-fuel needs to impose demands on all of Iran’s nuclear program.
In exchange for “allowing” Iran to obtain the necessary 20 percent enriched fuel from abroad, the Obama administration demanded that Iran export its existing enriched uranium out of the country, with only a limited amount allowed back into Iran in the form of prepared nuclear fuel.
Iran’s government considers this an unwarranted and dangerous intrusion of its sovereignty and international rights.
The U.S. government claims that Iran is planning to produce nuclear weapons, and that by exporting its uranium, Iran would be denied weapons-making capability. Washington has failed to prove such charges.
The U.S. and other Western media have blatantly lied about Iran’s nuclear programs, claiming that its enrichment processes have brought it much closer to creating nuclear-weapons grade uranium.
Nuclear weapons production requires over 90 percent enriched uranium. Until recently, Iran has only enriched uranium to 3.5 percent.
In Dec. 2009, after months of trying to obtain 20 percent fuel from abroad, Ali Asghar Soltanieh, Iran’s ambassador to the IAEA, stressed Iran’s urgent situation: “Time is of the essence,” Soltanieh said, “since the present fuel of Tehran Research Reactor is running out, and about 200 hospitals which receive the radiopharmaceutical[s] would then face humanitarian difficulties.”
Finally, on Feb. 7, 2010, Iran’s top nuclear official Ali Akbar Salehi announced that the Natanz facility in central Iran began enriching uranium to 20 percent level, for the Tehran research reactor.
He reiterated that if Iran were able to purchase the 20 percent fuel from abroad without the unjust restrictions, it would stop enrichment to the 20 percent level.
Although Iran has endured 30 years of on-again, off-again U.S. sanctions, this summer the sanctions have been severely tightened. On July 1, 2010, President Obama signed a U.S. law passed by Congress, “The Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010 (CISADA).”
It prohibits U.S. companies and individuals from economic dealings with Iran’s oil, shipping and other strategic industries, and prohibits banking and property transactions. It is far-reaching and is forcing Iran to raise prices of its imports, and eliminate certain subsidies the population has enjoyed.
Rather than surrender to U.S. and UN sanctions, in August this year Iran announced it will build 10 uranium-enrichment sites, starting in March 2011, for nuclear energy fuel. It estimates that it will need up to 20 sites for a 20,000 megawatt-capacity to meet the population’s electricity needs by 2015. As a precaution against military attack, the sites will be inside protected mountains.
Israel, an illegal nuclear power
Israel is the only country in the Middle East that actually has a nuclear-weapons arsenal, possessing at least 200 nuclear warheads. Israel has never signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The U.S. government does not criticize Israel’s nuclear weapons program, and instead, continues to finance and arm Israel. There exists a real threat that Israel could militarily strike Iran, whether by conventional or nuclear weapons.
Already, Israel destroyed the Osirak nuclear plant in Iraq in 1981 in a blitz missile attack. The Netanyahu government is making military preparations to strengthen its ability to bomb Iran. To do so would likely require U.S. approval.
Recently, Iran presented a resolution to demand that Israel reveal the facts of its nuclear-weapons arsenal, at the IAEA conference in mid-October, 2010. Although the resolution did not pass, it is an important step in further exposing the danger of the U.S.-Israeli nuclear alliance.
The genocidal use of U.S./UN sanctions
Sanctions were imposed on Iraq in August 1990 in the form of a total blockade. The aim was to weaken the population and country’s defenses, five months before a massive U.S. bombing campaign and ground attack.
Sanctions themselves are a virtual act of war. The sanctions and blockade were kept in place for 13 long years, killing over a million Iraqis—half of them under the age of five years—and devastating the country.
The Times Oct. 27 article quotes an unnamed U.S. official who boasts about the sanctions on Iran. “This will be a first sounding about whether the Iranians still think they can tough it out or are ready to negotiate. … We have to convince them that life will get worse, not better, if they don’t begin to move.”
Most revealing about U.S. policy towards Iran is Obama’s position, even before he was elected. In campaign debates prior to the 2008 election, Obama emphatically and repeatedly stated that “all options are on the table” in regard to Iran. This was clearly a threat of military action — including the possible use of nuclear weapons — against Iran.
International solidarity with Iran
It is in this context that an international campaign to defend Iran’s sovereignty has been initiated. U.S., Canadian, Iranian and other progressive activists are circulating a “Solidarity With Iran” declaration and petition. The three demands of the declaration are: 1) End the economic sanctions on Iran, 2) Stop military threats against Iran and 3) Respect Iran’s right to nuclear energy.
Initiating the campaign is the House of Latin America, an organization of Iranian activists in Iran who work in solidarity with Latin American struggles and in particular, the ALBA countries of Cuba, Venezuela and Bolivia. Supporters include Denis J. Halliday, former assistant UN general secretary, 1994-1998; Ramsey Clark, Cindy Sheehan, Fr. Roy Bourgeois, Cynthia McKinney and the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition.
Hamid Shahrabi, one of HOLA’s leaders, explained to this reporter the Iranian people’s perspective on the country’s right to defend its sovereignty.
“Something happened in Iran 31 years ago that is behind all the aggression of the United States. Millions of peasants, workers, youth, ordinary people—everybody—came into the streets, and overthrew the Shah.
“Under the Shah there was real repression in Iran, the people could not even express their basic needs. The Shah did whatever the U.S. government dictated to him. His army, his security forces were all trained by the United States. There was real repression in Iran. We did not have our sovereignty, we did not have our independence.
“After the Shah’s overthrow, from that day on, all these aggressions started. Let me give you an example: The United States government gave all its backing to the Shah to have nuclear energy, this is a historical fact. I can quote you from Mr. Kissinger, why the Shah should have nuclear energy. Now they say our nuclear energy program is aimed at making bombs, without any basis, without any facts to back up the charges.
“I want to emphasize again, what the United States government has against us is that our people have decided to be free, to be independent, and be a sovereign nation. They cannot tolerate this. We have set a very bad example, that nations can decide for themselves.”
Under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, all countries have the right to the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. Iran has abided by the IAEA regulations, and surpassed the inspection requirements. But the IAEA, like the Security Council, is an imperialist-dominated institution. Its monitoring regime often includes invasive and impossible demands against oppressed countries that the United States targets.
The case of Iran is no different. With the U.S. economic and military aggression, there is an urgent need for the U.S. and international anti-war movement to fight the sanctions and defend Iran’s right to develop and exercise its full sovereignty.
To sign the “Solidarity with Iran” statement, go to ANSWERCoalition.org.
