Iran’s Nuclear Program

Arms Control Wonk’s James Acton gives us a glimpse of a Jane’s International Defense Review article that’s otherwise locked behind a paywall:

Documents shown exclusively to Jane’s indicate that Iran is continuingits pursuit of the advanced technologies necessary to develop a nuclearweapon, regardless of Tehran’s claims that its nuclear programme ispurely peaceful. Jane’s was shown the information by a source connectedto a Western intelligence service, and the documents were verified by anumber of reliable independent sources in Vienna.

As Acton points out, it’s necessary to attach some caveats, such asthe need for skepticism when dealing with anonymous reports, as well asalternative military uses for the devices in question (multiple-pointdetonators of the sort that usually make atoms go boom).

But Ithink there comes a point where past behavior and the accumulation ofcurrent dual-use activity puts the onus of proof on the Iranians, whichin this case would mean unfettered IAEA access to all components of itsnuclear program. In other words, past a certain point, the trustdeficit becomes legitimate cause for distrust.

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