Analyst view

Wednesday, January 5, 2011
VIENNA - Iran said on Tuesday it had invited some envoys accredited to the U.N. nuclear watchdog to visit important nuclear facilities this month, shortly before a second round of talks between Tehran and major powers.
Those invited included representatives from some of the six world powers involved in diplomatic efforts to resolve the dispute over Iran's nuclear programme, Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said, without giving details.
Here are some expert comments about Iran's move:
GEORGE PERKOVICH, DIRECTOR OF THE NUCLEAR POLICY PROGRAM,
THE CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE
"This is pretend transparency ...Taking a bunch of diplomats ... to see what you want them to see is not meaningful transparency."
PAUL INGRAM, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, BRITISH AMERICAN SECURITY
INFORMATION COUNCIL
"This invitation is to be welcomed. Whilst no big breakthrough in openness in itself, as ambassadors without detailed technical understanding of the facilities will hardly discover any major new information from such a visit, it is a goodwill gesture and does mark a shift in approach towards engagement, and recognition that the international community has a legitimate interest in Iran's nuclear programme."
MARK HIBBS, CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE
"Until recently, Iran has been able to mobilise support among developing countries and non-aligned countries sitting on the IAEA governing board as non-permanent members. Since last fall, the board has a different group of countries which may be more critical of Iran's nuclear intentions and which Iran feels it needs to win over. Inviting their Vienna ambassadors to nuclear facilities in Iran looks like a public relations gambit to get their support.
"In a year's time, Iran will take over the leadership of the Non-Aligned Movement. Some of the countries on the IAEA board now from the NAM have concerns about Iran's future NAM leadership."
MAHJOOB ZWEIRI, UNIVERSITY OF QATAR
"This is Iran trying to show it is flexible, that we don't have any problem to show our facilities to diplomats who they know will report back to their governments. They also want to show that the Stuxnet virus which attacked Bushehr a few months ago was not effective, that all its facilities are working properly. It will be a clear message to P5+1 that Iran will not retreat in the negotiations.
"This was a decision taken at a high level. These sorts of decisions cannot be taken by the foreign minister or the president."
ALI ANSARI, ST ANDREWS UNIVERSITY, SCOTLAND
"I think it definitely suggests that Salehi is trying to make his mark and to improve PR, but I am not sure it will do much more than that. After all it will be a guided tour. However, it is a move away from all the confrontational rhetoric."
MARK FITZPATRICK, INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR STRATEGIC
STUDIES
"It's nothing but a propaganda ploy, intended to deepen divisions among the IAEA member states. Ambassadors are not trained to be inspectors. If Iran were serious about openness, there are many other ways that sincerity could be demonstrated. Among other things, Iran should answer the IAEA's questions about nuclear weapons development work, allow suspect scientists to be interviewed, stop rejecting IAEA inspectors, and provide advance design information about new nuclear facilities, as required by the IAEA rules that apply to every other member state."
MOHAMMED SHAKEEL, ABU DHABI-BASED IRAN EXPERT
"I guess it's pretty easy to dismiss the invitations as a propaganda exercise given the to-ing and fro-ing history over Iran's nuclear activities, but it's probably also worth seeing it in light of the appointment of the new acting foreign minister. This is Ali Akbar Salehi's first outreach to the 'international community' in his new role, possibly as an attempt to show Iran's goodwill ahead of the Istanbul talks. If Iran can somehow demonstrate a greater degree of transparency over its nuclear sites and activities, and maybe make a few friends along the way, its diplomats can take a message of compromise to the talks which is currently lacking. It remains to be seen how many invites will be accepted, but expect Iranian officials to proclaim a new spirit of cooperation."