March 9, 2004
By ANDREA DUDIKOVA
Associated Press Writer

VIENNA, Austria (AP) -- The United States and key European nations on Tuesday sought to work out differences on whether Tehran is living up to its pledge to open up its nuclear dossier.

A diplomat told The Associated Press no common language had been found for a resolution acceptable to both camps by Wednesday, the last scheduled day of the three-day meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency's board of governors.

But it appeared clear the conference would have to be extended because of the trans-Atlantic dispute.

"They're still hard at work, and hopefully by tomorrow or the day after tomorrow they'll get a resolution," IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei said. He acknowledged there was a dispute, saying, some "people are wanting more to emphasize the positive, others would like to focus more on the negative."

On Monday, ElBaradei described Iran and Libya - which has acknowledged having a weapons program and pledged to scrap it - as being in violation of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.

He said he was "seriously concerned" about Iran's refusal to declare plans and parts for an advanced uranium enrichment system, calling it a "setback to Iran's stated policy of transparency."

Washington, which is convinced that Tehran once wanted to make nuclear weapons and continues to harbor secrets, seeks tough language in any resolution that might be adopted.

U.S. officials have emphasized recent suspicious discoveries by the IAEA that Iran provided explanations for only after they were found.

But Germany, Britain and France want to emphasize Iran's progress in unveiling nuclear activities and cooperating with IAEA inspectors since the discovery last year of a secret uranium enrichment program and covert tests that could be applied toward weapons programs.

U.S. Undersecretary of State John Bolton complained in a letter to the three European governments ahead of the meeting that their stance hindered the common effort to get Iran to comply with its promises for full nuclear disclosure, diplomats told AP.

The text of a U.S-proposed resolution made available to AP spoke of "serious failures" by Iran to reveal everything about its activities - language the Europeans considered too harsh.

It said Iran's declaration of past and present nuclear activities was "neither correct nor complete" and "reserved consideration" of how the board would react - shorthand for possible U.N. Security Council involvement.

In contrast, a draft resolution on Libya is extremely complimentary.

The draft, which also was provided to AP, welcomes the "active cooperation" by Libya, and congratulates it for accepting full and intrusive IAEA inspections.

In an IAEA report made public last month, Tehran was accused of continuing to hide evidence of nuclear experiments unearthed by agency inspectors.

The dossier dealt Iran a setback in its efforts to convince the world that its nuclear program is peaceful and that it is fully cooperating with the U.N. agency.

The report mentioned finds of traces of polonium, a radioactive element that can be used in nuclear weapons. It also expressed concerns about the discovery of a previously undisclosed uranium centrifuge system - a finding the U.S. administration said raises "serious concerns" about Tehran's intentions.

Chief U.S. delegate Kenneth C. Brill told reporters he thought it was "striking that the more the agency learns the more the Iranians have to change their stories."

Iran has insisted its interest in uranium enrichment is only to generate power and not to arm warheads. It has suspended its enrichment program and has also allowed IAEA inspectors broad access to its nuclear programs.

Iran requested an end of the international scrutiny of its past and present nuclear agenda ahead of the meeting, but ElBaradei said Tehran would remain on the agency's top agenda until all outstanding issues are removed.

The board also planned to discuss agency findings resulting from its probe of the complex black market network providing Iran, Libya and North Korea with technology that can be used to make nuclear weapons.

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