Last update - 00:00 09/03/2008
Minister Boim accuses IAEA chief of serving as agent for Iran
By News Agencies
Housing Minister Ze'ev Boim has accused the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog of acting as an agent for Iran and of allowing the Islamic Republic to proceed with its uranium enrichment without international intervention.
"When you examine his behaviour you cannot but reach the conclusion that he is a sort of planted agent ... who has served well the interests of Iran," Boim, a member of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's Kadima party said in an interview Sunday with Channel One television.
Boim said ElBaradei had allowed Iran time to develop its nuclear bomb plans and that his decisions had thwarted international efforts to stop the Iranians.
"During his years as head of the agency, he has allowed it to be derelict in its duties and has allowed the Iranians to have probably the most important thing of all - time.
"His decisions, have many times been taken with a form of coordination with the Iranians and he has made it impossible to create a strong coalition which could stop Iran's uranium enrichment program," Boim said.
The IAEA has rejected past Israeli accusations of pro-Iran bias. Last week, all members of the IAEA's 35-nation board.
There was no immediate International Atomic Energy Agency comment. The IAEA has long pressed for wider-ranging inspections in Iran and full cooperation with agency investigations aimed at verifying Iranian nuclear activity is wholly peaceful.
The United Nations has imposed three sets of sanctions on Iran to pressure it to suspend uranium enrichment. The United States and other major powers suspect Iran is enriching uranium as part of a covert effort to develop a nuclear bomb.
Iran says it is only interested in civilian nuclear energy.
ElBaradei told the policymaking board that Iran had yet to respond substantively to intelligence reports in IAEA hands that suggest Iran studied how "weaponize" nuclear materials in the past and he would not take Iran's denials for a final answer.
He also reiterated calls on Iran to grant unfettered snap inspections beyond two declared uranium production sites to verify it is not hiding any military nuclear activity.
ElBaradei has irked some Western leaders by suggesting the world may eventually have to live with some enrichment on Iranian soil, under IAEA monitoring, and that only diplomatic compromise, not sanctions or war, can bring a lasting solution.
Israeli intelligence officials say Iran could have a nuclear bomb in two years but Israel's call for tougher international action against its foe was muted when a U.S. report published in December said Iran shelved its nuclear arms project in 2003.
Israel, widely believed to have the only nuclear arsenal in the Middle East, has said a nuclear Iran would be a threat to its existence and called for tougher international sanctions to press the Islamic Republic to halt uranium enrichment.