UN Inspectors Dispute Iran Report by House Panel

The US continues to clash with international agencies about global threats. United Nations inspectors label a report about Iran nuclear activities from the US House of Representatives as “misleading” and “unsubstantiated.” The report on the Iranian nuclear program also criticizes the work of UN inspectors. Inspectors with the UN International Atomic Energy (IAEA) Agency had similar disagreements about US assessments about nuclear activity and weapons in Iraq before the US invasion in March 2003. The US ignored UN inspectors and later tried to remove the director-general of the IAEA, who since has won the Nobel Prize for Peace. Some analysts suggest that the report undermines US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice who has called for limited talks with Tehran. Polls show that most US voters question the need for the Iraq invasion. The US House of Representatives is led by Republicans, who could be trying to rally alarm about Iran, to justify the fighting in the Middle East and avoid losing control of the body after November 2006 elections. – YaleGlobal