G, your post above highlights the point I'm trying to make. Remember my original post in this string:
Five nations on the UNSC are in violation of the NPT because:
1) They have not eliminated their nuclear weapon stockpiles.
2) They continue to research and develop new nuclear weapons.
and per the UNSC resolutions referenced in your post:
3) They interfere with the right of non-nuclear nations to develop peaceful nuclear technology:
These UNSC Resolutions violate the NPT:
The IAEA can
request that Iran choose not to pursue peaceful nuclear technology, but ultimately Iran has an NPT right to peaceful nuclear technology without discrimination. That right is also supported by a majority of UN members who feel that the UNSC and the IAEA have no right to interfere with Iran's peaceful nuclear program:
In G's post is a typical misleading statement regarding Iran's nuclear activities:
"Iran, meanwhile, has repeatedly violated its NPT safeguards agreement and has engaged in what the Agency has officially called “two decades of concealed activities."
Iran had no NPT obligation to reveal their nuclear research until after they agreed to the additional protocols. However sanctions can be applied to countries which do not "voluntarily" sign the additional protocols agreement or the NPT.
Iran signed the additional protocols agreement in 2003 and have since opened their program up to IAEA inspections and allowed the IAEA to see information regarding their past and present nuclear activity.
Additional Protocols to Nuclear Safeguards Agreements
IAEA inspections have found nothing which conclusively proves Iran had or has an active nuclear weapons research program. Even the US which has made unsubstantiated claims that Iran had an active nuclear weapon program does not believe that program is currently active. This report says that Iran's program was halted in 2003 around the same time they signed the additional protocols agreement.
http://www.dni.gov/press_releases/20071203_release.pdf
Compare Iran with the US. The US signed the additional protocols agreement in 1998. Using the same terminology, that would make the US guilty of over 50 years of "concealed activities". As a nuclear weapon possessing nation, the US doesn't even have to meet the same criteria of non-nuke nations to be compliant with the additional protocols. Only civilian facilities fall under IAEA scrutiny. Military facilities aren't inspected. Even with that slack double standard, the US didn't become officially compliant with the additional protocols until January 6, 2009... 11 years after signing the agreement. Iran only signed this agreement 6 years ago.
Iran is also only one of about 40 countries which agreed to the additional protocols but not yet been completely cleared by the IAEA. None of these other nations have faced sanctions or UNSC resolutions. Additionally, many NPT signatories are known to have active nuclear research programs and still have not signed the additional protocol agreement or allowed IAEA oversight.
For example Saudi Arabia:
NTI: Research Library: Country Profiles: Saudi Arabia Nuclear Overview
Considering that most of the 9/11 hijackers were Saudi, you would think Saudi Arabia would be a greater concern than Iran.
Another nuclear proliferation problem are countries like Israel, India, Pakistan and North Korea who are known to possess nukes and haven't signed the NPT, let alone the additional protocols. Unlike Iran, these nations are known to be in violation of the NPT. Yet only North Korea faces sanctions and UNSC resolutions.
Obviously Iran is being held to a ridiculously high standard and is being subjected to blatant NPT violating discrimination in violation of the NPT.
Did they only break it a little?
