Two Iran-Related News Items from the Financial Times - June 6, 2003

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), affiliated with the United Nations, states that Iran has violated regulations regarding the processing of nuclear materials, June 6, 2003. A confidential report from the agency, which was made available to its board members yesterday, claims that the Islamic Republic should have informed the agency before commencing work on nuclear materials, which it did not do. The IAEA report strengthens doubts regarding the Islamic Republic's nuclear objectives and aids the United States in declaring Iran a violator of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. A diplomat stated, 'This report, prepared after ElBaradei's visit to Iran, has a technical aspect, and its interpretation, in terms of severity, depends on the opinions of member countries. The IAEA has extensive cooperation with Iran. In some areas, the Islamic Republic has cooperated, while in others, it resists.' Charles Clover, Baghdad, June 5, 2003. A Shiite group supported by the Islamic Republic of Iran attacked U.S. forces with missiles. U.S. Army forces in Iraq announced on Thursday that they had arrested members of the Iranian-backed militia group in connection with attacks on American soldiers. This could further deteriorate already strained relations between Washington and Tehran. A military spokesperson stated that on May 21, 20 members of the Badr Corps were arrested due to at least one of the missile attacks on U.S. forces. This is the first time that the U.S. has publicly linked the Badr Corps and its leadership, the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, to anti-American violence in Iraq. In the past ten days, 9 American soldiers have been killed as a result of this violence. Hamid Bayati, spokesperson for the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, claims that no information has been received from the U.S. Army regarding this matter, and the accusations against those arrested are completely false.