Subscribe to Print Edition | Sat., April 19, 2008 Nisan 14, 5768 | | Israel Time: 03:08 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Austrian Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer (R) with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Jerusalem on Monday. (AP) Last update - 14:04 03/09/2007 Austrian chancellor, in Israel: Iran must stop enrichment of uranium By The Associated Press Tags: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, IAEA  Austrian Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer, on a visit to Israel, said on Monday that Iran must not only slow down its uranium enrichment activities, but stop it completely. Gusenbauer spoke during a reception ceremony held by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Jerusalem. The chancellor also said that "we have to track closely the sanctions on Iran, and even move beyond them." Olmert called on his Austrian counterpart to expand the sanctions on Iran, to support negotiations with Israel and the Palestinian Authority and to refrain from holding contacts with terror organizations. Advertisement Iran's president announced Sunday that his country is now running 3,000 centrifuges to enrich uranium for its controversial nuclear program - a long-sought Iranian goal - just days after the UN nuclear watchdog put the number lower, at close to 2,000. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's announcement on state-run media was at odds with an International Atomic Energy Association report issued last Thursday saying the Iranian enrichment program had slowed and the country was now cooperating with its investigators. The claim of renewed progress could add further momentum to efforts by Western nations to slap a third round of UN sanctions on the Islamic Republic for its continued efforts to enrich uranium. "The West thought the Iranian nation would give in after just a resolution, but now we have taken another step in the nuclear progress and launched more than 3,000 centrifuge machines, installing a new cascade every week," Ahmadinejad told a group of students in remarks carried by the state television Web site. Iran previously announced operating 3,000 centrifuges in April, but the IAEA said at the time that Iran had only 328 centrifuges going at its underground Natanz enrichment facility in central Iran. In the latest report, drawn up by IAEA chief Mohammed ElBaradei, the organization put the number of centrifuges enriching uranium in Natanz at close to 2,000 with another 650 being tested. The 2,000 figure is an increase of a few hundred of the machines over May, when the IAEA last reported on Iran. Still, the rate of expansion is much slower than a few months ago, when the country was assembling close to 200 centrifuges every two weeks. "The recent report by the UN nuclear watchdog agrees with Iran's approach and the dispute over Iran's nuclear case has ended," Ahmadinejad said. The IAEA report noted an increased willingness by the Iranians to answer questions after years of stonewalling and was seen as putting the brakes on the push for new sanctions. The UN Security Council has so far passed two sets of sanctions targeting Iranian individuals and businesses involved in the country's nuclear and missile programs. The resolutions also ordered countries to stop supplying Iran with materials and technology for these programs. UN officials have suggested that Iran had slowed its program and increased its cooperation with the agency investigators to avert the new sanctions. The report said that Iran continued to produce only negligible amounts of nuclear fuel with its centrifuges, far below the level usable for nuclear warheads. The president's announcements appeared to mark a shift away from that strategy. Iran's ultimate stated goal for the Natanz facility, the only site now open to full IAEA monitoring, is to run 54,000 centrifuges - enough for dozens of nuclear weapons a year. Uranium gas, spun in linked centrifuges, can result in either low-enriched fuel suitable to generate power, or the weapons-grade material that forms the fissile core of nuclear warheads. The U.S. claims Iran is secretly trying to develop atomic weapons. But Iran insists it wants to master the technology only to meet future power needs and argues it is entitled to enrich under a Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty provision giving all pact members the right to develop peaceful programs. Bookmark to del.icio.us   A gentleman's word Olmert tells Haaretz he knows Iran won't have nuclear capacity. Farewell to arms B'Tselem says IDF must ban wide-range shell that killed civilians in Gaza.   1.   Good notice 19:40  |  indrajaya 02/09/07   2.   With great help from Europe 20:09  |  Jonathan S 02/09/07   3.   I will go with the IAEA figures 20:19  |  Mark Lincoln 02/09/07   4.   did he say launched? 20:25  |  joebhed 02/09/07   5.   Don`t worry folks:Olmert & Peres promise that Iran is bluffing 20:39  |  Leftist Idiot 02/09/07   6.   It`s all legal, folks. 20:51  |  ManInTheMiddle 02/09/07   7.   Jonatahan S 22:37  |  Markus 02/09/07   8.   # 2 22:39  |  Mike 02/09/07   9.   Britain pulling out of Basra Palace tonight 22:53  |  Clickfool 02/09/07   10.   On bombing Iran 23:04  |  Clickfool 02/09/07   11.   Mr. Click 13:31  |  Judith, Haifa 03/09/07   12.   an organized move from Basra Palace to Basra Air Station," 13:55  |  Judith, H 03/09/07   13.   to click 14:42  |  jg 03/09/07   14.   Iran 15:10  |  Teacher 03/09/07   15.   A cynical charade 15:21  |  Jonathan S 03/09/07   16.   Jonathan S 15:24  |  christoph 03/09/07   17.   For Markus who has to pay 15:34  |  Jonathan S 03/09/07   18.   Nukes 15:38  |  Voice of Reason 03/09/07   19.   Austria Chancellor`s visit would have been rejected 16:49  |  nobodysacred 03/09/07   20.   On Bombing Iran 17:35  |  Solon 04/09/07   21.   To Solon 00:02  |  Persian Kitty 05/09/07   22.   To Joebhed 00:10  |  Persian Kitty 05/09/07

Read & React Editorial: Israel can't demolish all of Gaza Responses: 131 Yishai to Carter: Tell Meshal that I want to discuss prisoner swap Responses: 40 IDF troops do nothing as Hebron settlers threaten German MPs Responses: 157 Rice: Syria 'most certainly an issue in nuclear proliferation' Responses: 63 IDF kills top militant wanted in plot to poison Ramat Gan restaurant Responses: 36 Rosner's Domain The Passover test and The Passion of Passover Just say no to Carter Poll: What is Carter doing in the Middle East? Let the debate begin: what's a "pro-Israeli" position? Clinton: Massive retaliation if Israel attacked (WTR) More Headlines 23:35 Qassam hits power lines in Sderot causing blackout 20:20 Israel: PA can reopen 20 police stations in West Bank 01:03 Carter meets Hamas leader, Syrian President in Damascus 02:46 Egypt: 'Good progress' made in Israel-Hamas ceasefire talks 19:38 Boim: 'Natural growth' reason for 100 new settlement homes 22:56 IDF: Reuters reporter risked his life by going to Bi'lin 23:25 Muslim preacher sentenced in Britain for supporting terrorism 21:06 Iranian official: Asian traders make up for German sanctions 19:55 Hamas: Shalit won't 'see light' until Palestinian prisoners freed 20:05 The Israeli 'settler' serving in Italy's parliament 20:22 IDF kills militant leader wanted in plot to poison Ramat Gan restaurant 18:48 IDF troops do nothing as Hebron settlers threaten German MPs Previous Editions Select Day 18 apr 17 apr 16 apr 15 apr 14 apr 13 apr 11 apr 10 apr 09 apr 08 apr 07 apr 06 apr

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