By Abdelwaheb El-Gueyed, KUNA,
Vienna : Taous Ferroukhi, chairperson of the IAEA Board of Governors, categorically rejected “political interference” in the nuclear watchdog’s activities.
Speaking to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), Ferroukhi, who is the Algerian ambassador to Austria, said this interference could undermine the international agency’s main task of promoting nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
The remarks came after the IAEA Board of Governors wrapped up its two-day meeting last week.
She added that as board chairperson she had called on the member countries and delegations who attended the meeting to commit themselves to the IAEA’s statutes, stipulating it as an international technical organization devoted to the promotion of atomic use for peaceful purposes.
She voiced deep dismay at some attempts to capitalize on the IAEA and its technical committees as a political platform for “settling scores.” Asked if the double-standard policy is to blame for IAEA splits over Syria’s and Iran’s abidance by the Agreement of Safeguards, given the Israeli nuclear arsenal, she said many member countries had called for dealing with the Israeli nuclear file just as was the case with other dossiers.
Ferroukhi emphatically condemned Israel for striking the Syrian Al-Kiber military facility under the pretext that it was a nuclear site.
“How come that a country uses force against a member country of the UN and Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT),” she wondered.
She also quoted IAEA Director-General Mohamed ElBardei as astringently rapping Israel for destroying the Syrian military site, a move which he said blocked IAEA verification activities there.
The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) had called for suspending Israel’s IAEA membership for its attack on Syria, while western countries failed to give any reaction.