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Iran: US Spying on Nuclear Sites - 2005-02-16


Iran's Intelligence Minister has accused the United States of spying on the country's nuclear sites.

Iran's state-run news agency (IRNA) quoted Ali Yunesi as saying the United States has been using satellites and other tools to spy on Iran for a long time.

Earlier this week, the Washington Post reported that unmanned surveillance drones have been flying over Iran for almost a year to search for evidence of nuclear weapons programs and detect weaknesses in air defenses.

Meanwhile, the head of the U.N. nuclear agency says there has been no evidence so far to support U.S. suspicions that Tehran is developing nuclear weapons.

In an interview with four U.S. newspapers (including the Post), Mohamed ElBaradei also called for greater U.S. participation in diplomatic efforts to engage Iran and North Korea in talks about their nuclear programs.

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad says U.S. suspicions about Iran's nuclear program stem from what he calls an "element of hatred against Muslims."

Malaysia's official news agency (Bernama) reports that Mr. Mahathir said the United States is taking a much harder stance with Iran than it is with North Korea.

The former prime minister said Pyongyang will not be the target of a U.S. attack because "if it is non-Muslim, the U.S. will not attack."

Mr. Mahathir was reported as saying he believes Washington will use Israel as a proxy to attack Tehran.

Shortly before stepping down in late 2003 after 22 years in office, Mr. Mahathir remarked that "Jews rule the world by proxy," setting off a storm of international criticism.

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