Iran must go beyond transparency plan for trust--IAEA

VIENNA, Sep 10 (Reuters) The UN nuclear watchdog chief, deflecting Western criticism of a limited plan for Iranian transparency, said today Tehran must take measures well beyond it to remove mistrust in its atomic aspirations.

Mohamed ElBaradei defended the plan at the opening of an International Atomic Energy Agency governors meeting against Western complaints that Iran bulldozed IAEA inspectors into a deal relieving pressure on Tehran to rein in its nuclear work.

US officials said Western missions would push at the meeting for swift Iranian implementation of a pact Iran agreed with the IAEA would be phased over several months. Such a time frame gave Iran more time to develop atom bomb capability, they said.

ElBaradei told the 35-nation board the plan for Iran to clarify questions about past sensitive activities once hidden was ''an important step in the right direction''.

But, zeroing in on Western grievances, he underlined the plan was limited and in itself would not absolve Iran of all suspicions, despite Iranian assertions since agreeing the pact that its nuclear file is now ''closed''.

For that to happen, ElBaradei said it was ''indispensable'' that Iran permit wider-ranging inspections, targeting sites not declared to be nuclear, and suspend enrichment-related activity as mandated by Board and UN Security Council resolutions.

''Resolving all outstanding issues in the next two to three months, after a long deadlock, would go a long way towards building the confidence of the international community in the peaceful nature of Iran's past nuclear programme,'' he said.

ADVANCED CENTRIFUGE RESEARCH ''But equally important, Iran obviously needs to continue to build confidence in the scope and nature of its current nuclear programme, including renewed access by the agency to information relevant to ongoing advanced centrifuge research.

''This would enable the agency to provide assurances not only regarding declared nuclear material but, equally important, the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities.'' ElBaradei also made clear the IAEA would insist on documents and access to hitherto off-limits areas to check Iranian answers to inquiries into alleged military involvement in nuclear energy development, which Iran says is only for generating electricity.

ElBaradei said earlier he expected the board to back the plan once he clarified ''misunderstandings''. Diplomats said the board would only ''take note'' of the plan due to its limitations.

The deal allows Iran to draw out questions according to a rough timeline about past nuclear research covered up for almost 20 years, while leaving intact its expanding uranium-enrichment programme, a possible route to atomic bombs.

It has also interrupted a US-led push to rein in Iran by eroding European support for, and stiffening Russian resistance to, tougher UN sanctions. Iran won the reprieve by threatening to cut off the IAEA if pressure intensifies, diplomats said.

''We will press for rapid cooperation (by Iran) rather than continued delay and many countries will be joining us in doing so,'' US Ambassador to the IAEA Gregory Schulte told reporters.

''Cooperation that is partial, conditional and only promised in future is not enough, cooperation that gives Iran the wherewithal to produce nuclear weapons is not enough,'' he said.

Western diplomats dismissed reports ElBaradei was seen to have overstepping his authority in approving the transparency plan without consulting the board, but remained sceptical.

''What concerns some is that this agreement appears to create a pathway to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue without Board or Security Council involvement,'' said one Western diplomat.

''The plan only creates a mechanism for resolving some past issues. It was largely drafted by the Iranians and agreed by the (IAEA) Department of Safeguards. The IAEA told us at a recent briefing, 'It was the 'best we could get'.'' REUTERS GL BD1627