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Russia Sabotaged Iran Nuclear Programme: Report
By AFP
May 20, 2011 "AFP" -- -JERUSALEM (AFP) - Then Russian president
Vladimir Putin ordered the sabotage of Iran's nuclear programme in
2006, according to WikiLeaks documents published by Israeli daily
Yediot Aharonot on Thursday.
The leaked documents, which were not immediately available on either
the Yediot or Wikileaks websites, purportedly detail talks between the
head of Israel's Atomic Energy Commission and then-US ambassador to
Israel Richard Jones.
During a February 2006 meeting, Gideon Frank told Jones "at length
about the results of his secret meetings with top figures in the
Russian security establishment and intelligence community," Yediot
reported.
Among the officials he met were then defence minister Sergei Ivanov,
foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and the chairman of the Russian Atomic
Energy Commission, Sergei Kiriyenko.
He told Jones Putin had personally ordered measures to delay progress
at Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant. Under a 1995 deal, Russia agreed to
complete the plant and provide the fuel, with Iran committing to
return the spent fuel.
"Frank said that Kiriyenko had told him that he intended to delay the
process of sending the nuclear rods to the reactor in Bushehr for an
extended period of time and that he had no intention of supplying the
reactor with 'fresh fuel' at the current stage," Yediot reported.
Kiriyenko told the Israelis "the Russians intended to explain the
deliberate delay by means of 'technical problems,'" adding that "Putin
had personally ordered that deliberate delay in delivery," the
newspaper said.
Frank also said the Russians had told him "they had made changes to
the hardware that they were supposed to send to the Bushehr reactor so
as to slow down the Iranian nuclear program even further."
Russia, which has been a long-standing nuclear partner of Iran, voted
in favour of UN sanctions against the Islamic republic last June.
Israel and much of the international community fear that Iran's
nuclear programme masks a push to develop nuclear weapons. Tehran
denies the charge, saying the programme is for civilian energy
purposes only.
By AFP
May 20, 2011 "AFP" -- -JERUSALEM (AFP) - Then Russian president
Vladimir Putin ordered the sabotage of Iran's nuclear programme in
2006, according to WikiLeaks documents published by Israeli daily
Yediot Aharonot on Thursday.
The leaked documents, which were not immediately available on either
the Yediot or Wikileaks websites, purportedly detail talks between the
head of Israel's Atomic Energy Commission and then-US ambassador to
Israel Richard Jones.
During a February 2006 meeting, Gideon Frank told Jones "at length
about the results of his secret meetings with top figures in the
Russian security establishment and intelligence community," Yediot
reported.
Among the officials he met were then defence minister Sergei Ivanov,
foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and the chairman of the Russian Atomic
Energy Commission, Sergei Kiriyenko.
He told Jones Putin had personally ordered measures to delay progress
at Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant. Under a 1995 deal, Russia agreed to
complete the plant and provide the fuel, with Iran committing to
return the spent fuel.
"Frank said that Kiriyenko had told him that he intended to delay the
process of sending the nuclear rods to the reactor in Bushehr for an
extended period of time and that he had no intention of supplying the
reactor with 'fresh fuel' at the current stage," Yediot reported.
Kiriyenko told the Israelis "the Russians intended to explain the
deliberate delay by means of 'technical problems,'" adding that "Putin
had personally ordered that deliberate delay in delivery," the
newspaper said.
Frank also said the Russians had told him "they had made changes to
the hardware that they were supposed to send to the Bushehr reactor so
as to slow down the Iranian nuclear program even further."
Russia, which has been a long-standing nuclear partner of Iran, voted
in favour of UN sanctions against the Islamic republic last June.
Israel and much of the international community fear that Iran's
nuclear programme masks a push to develop nuclear weapons. Tehran
denies the charge, saying the programme is for civilian energy
purposes only.