U.S. spooks crafted IAEA report on Iran, Egyptian presidential hopeful says

TEHRAN, Nov. 10 (MNA) -- A hopeful in the upcoming Egyptian presidential election said that the recent IAEA report on Iran’s nuclear program was crafted by the United States’ intelligence agencies and thus is invalid. In an interview in Cairo published on Wednesday, former Egyptian Foreign Ministry official Abdullah al-Ashal described the report as completely baseless and said, “The International Atomic Energy Agency has once again proven that it has become a toy in the hands of U.S. officials.” In violation of IAEA regulations, the report is extensively based on information provided by U.S. intelligence agencies, he added. “This indicates that the report is politically motivated,” he stated. Commenting on the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, he said, “The treaty is actually a tool to serve the interests of the major Western powers and their allies. “The countries that are opposed to the United States’ hegemonistic policies do not have the right to have nuclear energy, while those countries that serve the interests of the U.S. government are allowed to have access to this technology. “This is the actual meaning of the NPT from the U.S. perspective.” He went on to say that the disagreements between the U.S. and Israel over Iran must be taken into consideration when analyzing the anti-Iran campaign, noting, “The White House does not regard the Iranian threat as serious, but it is currently under huge pressure from the Israelis to impose more sanctions on Iran. The Israelis are actually terrified by Iran’s expanding role as a regional power.” Al-Ashal also criticized Egyptian media outlets for the way they have covered the recent IAEA report on Iran and asked them to stop serving the interests of Israel.