Source: Asia Times.
By Yousaf Butt
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was designed as an apolitical technical agency that – among other things – takes regular accounting of member states’ nuclear material to make sure none is diverted to weapons uses.
However, the agency has been veering from its impartial technical mandate and is selectively pursuing certain member states based on intelligence from other states. [1] For instance, the Associated Press reported that about 80% of the evidence it has against Iran comes from its arch-adversary, the United States.
The IAEA urgently needs to return to being a technical and impartial inspection shop, and not be seen as being politically biased or an extension of Western intelligence. [2] Reforming its funding stream is an overdue first step to restore confidence in the agency’s impartiality and removing any potential conflicts of interest.
Categories: Americas