Briefing with Scott McClellan on IAEA Reports on Tunnels

March 3, 2005

Weapon Program: 

  • Nuclear

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Q There's a report today out of Vienna, the IAEA, that Iran has built -- is building fortified tunnels a half-a-mile under the ground to hide nuclear materials in case of a possible air strike. Is this some new information to the administration? Does this raise new concerns?

MR. McCLELLAN: We continue to have serious concerns about Iran's interest in developing nuclear weapons. We have long expressed our concerns that they are pursuing nuclear weapons under the cover of a civilian nuclear program. The IAEA and all the members of the Atomic Energy Agency sent a very clear message to Iran. They need to fully comply with their international obligations, they need to come clean, they need to be fully open, they need to be fully transparent and they need to cooperate fully with the inspectors. That's what we expect. That's the way that Iran can realize better relations with the international community.

Q Do they need to close the tunnels, or stop building them?

MR. McCLELLAN: What they need to do is come clean and fully comply with their international obligations. That's what we expect. We're continuing to discuss a common strategy for achieving our common purpose, which is making sure Iran does not acquire nuclear weapons, and we're doing that with our European friends.

All of the international community is sending a clear, unified message to the regime in Iran and it is, abide by your international obligations, don't develop a nuclear weapon. And the way to show that -- show confidence with the international community that they have no intention of developing a nuclear weapon is for Iran to fully stop all their enrichment reprocessing, enrichment and reprocessing activities. That's the way -- we want a permanent cessation to those activities. That's the way for them to build confidence with the international community.

But this -- what has been stated in Vienna continues to raise concerns about Iran's behaviors -- behavior and their intentions, and that's why we are working with our European friends to resolve this matter in a diplomatic way. But, ultimately, it's going to depend on Iran. Iran has got to make the decision to change its behavior and abandon its pursuit of nuclear weapons.

Q When the President talked with Allawi this morning, you said that they talked about Iran possibly influencing the change of government. Is there new information that Iran is trying to intervene or interfere in the process?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, leaders of the interim government in Iraq have expressed concerns that Iran is trying to influence the shape of the transitional government. We take those concerns very seriously. That's why you're hearing not only us, but leaders in Iraq saying to Iran, stop trying to influence internal politics in Iraq. It's for the Iraqi people to decide who their leaders are. They elected their transitional government; they were the ones who showed the determination and courage to defy the terrorists and go to the polls in large numbers and elect representatives to serve as they transition to democracy. And those representatives are the ones that should be choosing the leadership of that national assembly. And that's the message that we were sending -- this should be an Iraqi process.

Q Scott, can you be more specific on how they're trying to influence?

MR. McCLELLAN: No. These are concerns that have been expressed by the leaders in Iraq. You might want to ask them for some more details, if they can share those with you. But we know that they are continuing to meddle in Iraq's internal political process. And Iran made some commitments not to do that; they made a commitment to play a constructive role in helping the Iraqi people build a free and peaceful and democratic future.

Q Scott, can you just elaborate on if, in fact, the administration believes it's possible to verify that the Iranians are stopping their enrichment and their uranium reprocessing plants, or if ultimately this doesn't come down to an end game in which the U.S. is completely against an atomic energy program in Tehran?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, the Director General of the IAEA has said that while they have provided some cooperation, they have not been fully transparent and they have not been fully open about their activities. And that's why we have skepticism, because for 20 years, as Director General ElBaradei pointed out, they were operating a clandestine program. They had obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty to disclose this activity, and they failed to do that. So you can understand our skepticism about Iran coming into full compliance and abiding by its international obligations.

That's why we're working closely with our European friends to develop a common strategy to get Iran to come clean and adhere to its international obligations. And part of those international obligations are to cooperate fully with the International Atomic Energy Agency, and that's why I hit on -- one of the most important points is that they need to permanently cease their reprocessing and enrichment activities. That's the way for them to build confidence that they don't have an intention -- that they don't have any intention of building a nuclear weapon.

Q So if the IAEA were to get over these concerns and the EU were to say -- EU-3 were to say that it is, in their minds, sufficiently convincing that this is a peaceful civilian atomic energy plant, would the administration then drop its concern?

MR. McCLELLAN: I don't think it's so much up to them.

It's up to Iran. The focus needs to be on Iran. This is a question, will Iran change its behavior and come into compliance, and we'll see. We have been skeptical in the past, for good reason, and we remain skeptical today. But we want the efforts of the Europeans to succeed. And we will see, by Iran's own behavior, whether or not they're going to come into full compliance.

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Q Scott, one more on Iran. What enforcement mechanism does the U.S. and the EU have if Iran doesn't comply? And do you still think that some sort of appeasement would work; is that still on the table, regarding the World Trade Organization?

MR. McCLELLAN: I wouldn't use that word at all. In fact, the international community is sending a very clear message to Iran about what Iran needs to do, and that is they need to fully comply with those international obligations that I've cited before.

In terms of what -- tell me the first part of your question again -- I'm sorry.

Q There are two options on the table, either the World Trade Organization, or the military option.

MR. McCLELLAN: Oh, you mean the national security -- I mean, the United Nations Security Council. And we have long -- and we just expressed again the other day at the International Atomic Energy Agency that Iran's noncompliance is grounds for referring the matter to the United Nations Security Council. That's something we've believed for a long time, because Iran has failed to come into full compliance. Nothing short of full compliance and a complete abandonment of their nuclear weapons ambitions is acceptable.

I think we've made that very clear. I think the international community has made it very clear. We are speaking with a clear unity of purpose. That's what came out of the meetings last week. You've seen others step up at the meetings in Vienna to speak out against Iran's failure to comply and failure to adhere to their international obligations. And if they continue to fail to comply, then there are steps that we can look at. And I think the international community understands that, as well. No one wants to see Iran develop a nuclear weapon.

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Q Scott, the President -- in terms of the Iran situation, the European attitude is that they want to offer a package to the Iranians which would get them to back away from the reprocessing and enrichment, which they, according to the NPT, would have the ability to do, as signatures of the NPT. So they want to offer them some carrots. The question is, they cannot do it if the U.S. is not prepared to go along with it. And I'd like to ask, what is the U.S. prepared to do with regard to Iran if the Europeans, indeed, do come up with an agreement? What would the U.S. be prepared to go along with in terms of economic concessions, WTO membership --

MR. McCLELLAN: First of all, the Europeans have been meeting with Iranian officials. They're pursuing a diplomatic course to resolve this matter. It depends on Iran. Iran is the one that has to change their behavior. That's where the focus needs to remain, and that's where the focus is. It's where the focus is of the international community. All of us are working toward that common purpose.

Now, the President had some very good discussions last week with leaders from the three countries, and other leaders, for that matter, that are concerned about the problem. They had some good discussions. They talked about some ideas for moving forward together on a common strategy. We want to do everything we can to support the efforts of the Europeans so that that diplomatic effort will succeed and Iran will finally come clean and abide by its international obligations.

That's what we're working toward. We're continuing to have discussions with our European friends. I expect we'll have more to say soon.

Go ahead.

Q -- National Security Council said today that we are preparing our nations to accept the sanction by the U.N. Security Council, if any. What do you --

MR. McCLELLAN: I'm sorry, what -- which nation?

Q Security -- National Security -- the Secretary of National Security of Iran said today --

MR. McCLELLAN: Iran? Okay.

Q -- yes, that we are preparing our nation to accept any kind of sanction by the U.N. Security Council, if any. What do you think you're going to have with your European allies, with the new approach by the Islamic Republic of Iran?

MR. McCLELLAN: I think what Iran needs to do is come clean and abide by its international obligations. That's the message that they need to hear and that's the message they are hearing from the international community. We also have other concerns about Iran's behavior. We talked about one of those concerns when it comes to their interference in Iraq's political process. We have concerns about their human rights record. We have concerns about their treatment of their own people and their refusal to hear the voices of their own people who seek greater freedoms. We are going to continue to talk about those concerns.

Iran needs to focus on how to change their behavior and realize better relations with the international community, but to do that, they have to change their behavior, and they have to come clean when it comes to their nuclear program.

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