IAEA works in a hard position between Israel, Iran

By David Harris

JERUSALEM, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- The 150 member states of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will receive the latest report on Iran's nuclear program next week. Both Israel and Iran have made accusations about the IAEA's role, with each has what to gain by challenging the organization.

The UN nuclear watchdog plays many roles, the majority of which do not make it to the front pages of newspapers. However, for the best part of this decade, the IAEA has been closely monitored by international media for its work on the Iranian issue.

On Wednesday, Israeli daily Ha'aretz quoted anonymous senior Western and Israeli officials as suggesting that the IAEA is "hiding data on Iran's drive to obtain nuclear arms."

Outgoing IAEA Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei is preventing the publication of data collected by inspectors in Iran over the last few months pertaining to Tehran's "pursuing information about weaponization efforts and a military nuclear program," the newspaper alleged.

The IAEA neither comment on this report, nor was surprised by it. These types of items are often published a few days before member states receive the latest quarterly reports on Iran's nuclear program.

The IAEA's working assumption is that the representatives of individual countries that sit in the nuclear watchdog leak information to the media. It is something that cannot be prevented, but that irks the IAEA's hierarchy.