IAEA Calls U.S. Congress Report on Iran `Dishonest' (Update1) 

By Jonathan Tirone
September 14, 2006
Bloomberg
Original Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=a4GhCBD7phfQ&refer=us

Sept. 14 (Bloomberg) -- The United Nations atomic agency called parts of a Congressional report that said the U.S. needs better intelligence about Iran's nuclear activities ``outrageous and dishonest.'' 
The report contains ``erroneous, misleading and unsubstantiated information,'' reads a Sept. 12 International Atomic Energy Agency letter addressed to House Intelligence Committee Chairman Peter Hoekstra, a Republican Congressman from Michigan. The letter urged the committee to check its facts in the future. 
``Recognizing Iran as a Strategic Threat: An Intelligence Challenge for the United States,'' was published by the Committee on Aug. 23. Its author, Frederick Fleitz, was a senior adviser to the U.S.'s UN ambassador, John Bolton, until 2005. 
The UN agency's letter, drafted by External Relations Director Vilmos Cserveny, condemned the report's insinuation that nuclear inspectors were following ``unstated IAEA policy'' of suppressing information about Iran's atomic work. A copy of the letter was obtained by Bloomberg News. 
The IAEA letter also drew attention to factual errors in the House report, including assertions that Iran is producing ``weapons-grade'' uranium. 
``Weapons-grade is commonly used to refer to uranium enriched to the order of 90 percent,'' the letter said. Iran has enriched uranium to a 3.6 percent level, according to the IAEA. 
The U.S. and the IAEA have been at odds before. 
U.S. diplomats last year opposed giving the agency's Director General, Mohamed ElBaradei, a third term as head of the organization. The 64-year-old Egyptian went on to win the Nobel Peace Prize last October. 
Destabilize Iraq 
IAEA inspectors weren't able to find evidence of an Iraqi weapons program before the U.S. invaded the country in March 2003. U.S. officials insisted the country was harboring a weapons of mass destruction project. Subsequent investigations found that Iraq had dismantled its nuclear program, as inspectors had verified. 
The House report also accused Iran of fomenting violence in Iraq, and trying to destabilize that country's government. Iran's connections with Al-Qaeda also need to be more thoroughly studied, the paper said. 
A message left at Hoekstra's office wasn't immediately returned.