U.S. urges denial of IAEA aid to build Iranian reactor

Monday, November 20th 2006, 12:01 pm

By: News On 6

VIENNA, Austria (AP) _ The United States on Monday urged the International Atomic Energy Agency to deny aid to Iran in building a plutonium-producing reactor but said it would not oppose Tehran's requests for aid on seven other projects.

The move reflected U.S. recognition that it was useless to try to block IAEA help to Iran on all eight projects under consideration because of opposition by most of the agency's 35-nation board.

``We are prepared to join consensus'' on approving the seven other requests from Iran if the agency's board agrees to deny aid to Iran on building the Arak research reactor, said Gregory L. Schulte, the chief U.S. delegate to the IAEA.

His comments to the closed committee meeting on IAEA technical aid to member countries were made available to The Associated Press.