U.N. nukes chief rejects threats of force against Iran

AUSTRIA. The chief U.N. nuclear inspector urged Iran’s harshest critics yesterday to learn the lessons of Iraq and not attack Tehran, saying such options should only be considered as a last resort and if authorized by the U.N. Security Council.

Mohamed ElBaradei also called on nations critical of his last-ditch effort to entice Tehran into lifting the veil of secrecy on past nuclear activities to “hold their horses” until the end of the year — when the deadline for Iran to provide answers runs out.

“By November or December we will be able to know if Iran is acting in good faith or not,” he said, suggesting that was the time to think of tougher diplomatic action — but not military action — if needed.

ElBaradei, speaking outside a 144-nation meeting of his International Atomic Energy Agency, invoked the example of Iraq in urging an end to the threats of force against Iran — most recently uttered over the weekend by France.

“I would not talk about any use of force,” said ElBaradei, noting that only the Security Council can authorize such action. “There are rules on how to use force, and I would hope that everybody would have gotten the lesson after the Iraq situation, where 700,000 innocent civilians have lost their lives on the suspicion that a country has nuclear weapons.”

He was alluding to a key U.S. argument for invading Iraq in 2003 without Security Council approval — that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear arms. Four years later, no such weapons have been found.

“I do not believe at this stage that we are facing a clear and present danger that requires we go beyond diplomacy,” ElBaradei said.

“We need not to hype the issue,” he told reporters.

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