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Pittsburgh
25 September 2009
The leaders of the United States, Britain and France say Iran must come
clean about its nuclear program, warning Tehran will be held
accountable by the international community. They spoke following disclosure of
a second Iranian uranium enrichment facility.
President Obama
says the revelation that Iran is building a second nuclear enrichment
facility, and tried to hide it for years, shows Tehran's true
intentions.
He says Iran must come clean about its nuclear program or face the consequences.
"The
Iranian government must now demonstrate through deeds its peaceful
intentions or be held accountable to international standards and
international law," said Mr. Obama.
The president spoke in Pittsburgh, less than an hour before deliberations resumed at the G20 economic summit.
He said this is not the first time Iran has tried to hide its nuclear activities from the world.
Iran
disclosed the underground uranium enrichment facility this week, when
it found out western intelligence agencies had information on the
plant. President Obama said the site - about 160 kilometers from Tehran
- is another sign of defiance from Iran.
"Iran has a right to
peaceful nuclear power that meets the energy needs of its people," said
the president. "But the size and configuration of this facility is
inconsistent with a peaceful program."
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy joined in the tough talk.
Prime
Minister Brown was blunt. "Confronted with the serial deception of many
years, the international community has no choice today but to draw a
line in the sand," he said.
Iran says its nuclear program is for
peaceful purposes to provide energy for its people. But the United
States and many other western nations believe Iran's real aim is to
develop nuclear weapons.
The United Nations has already imposed
three sets of sanctions on Iran related to its nuclear activities, and
pressure appears to be mounting for a fourth.
President Sarkozy
said time is running out for Tehran. "If by December, there is not an
in-depth change by the Iranian leaders, sanctions will have to be
taken," he said.
White House officials say information on the
plant was gathered over the course of years by the U.S., French and
British intelligence agencies. They say the UN atomic watchdog agency,
the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), was briefed on Wednesday
night and presented with an "iron clad" case. These officials say the
IAEA has already demanded access to the facility from Iran, and will
investigate the matter vigorously.
At the same time, diplomats
are preparing for the resumption of talks between Iran and the five
permanent members of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany. Those
discussions begin on October 1.
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