Ahmadinejad: US nuclear report a great victory for Iran
Tehran, 2007 Dec 5, Al-Manar
The report by US intelligence on the Iranian nuclear program was a "great victory" for Iran against world powers, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declared in a televised speech on Wednesday.
Earlier, President Ahmadinejad said the US and its accomplices have no other choice except to admit Iran's rights regarding its peaceful nuclear program. He made the remark in a meeting on Tuesday with the new Swedish Ambassador to Tehran, Magnus Vernstedt, who submitted his credentials to the Iranian president.
 Iran's chief nuclear negotiator has welcomed the US report but said he hoped any future US intelligence report would say Tehran's nuclear plans had always been peaceful.
The US National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on Monday made a sharp reversal in its stance and claimed Iran halted an atomic weapons program in 2003. The report contradicts charges by the Bush administration that Tehran was actively working on an atom bomb.
Iran's top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili said after visiting Russia: "In the report they said that Iran's nuclear activity was peaceful after 2003 and I hope they say in their next report that all Iran's activity was peaceful since the beginning."
US President George W. Bush said at a press conference Tuesday Iran remained a danger if it mastered the knowledge to make a nuclear weapon.
Jalili responded: "Bush's remarks were not new. What is important is their official organizations admitted that Iran did not have non-peaceful activities."
Iran's chief nuclear negotiator was speaking to reporters upon arrival at the Imam Khomeini International Airport after talks in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir. Putin told him that he expected Tehran to open up its atomic energy program to the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Putin also praised Iran's cooperation with the UN's nuclear watchdog, saying Russia expected that Iran's programs would remain under IAEA supervision.
US said it would continue pushing for a third UN sanctions resolution.
Asked about any sanctions resolution, Jalili said: "Currently, we have a positive mood in the world both in technical and legal aspects."
He added: "The agency's report proved that many of the allegations were baseless ... And today, many of those who used to raise allegations have announced that they were baseless."
Asked whether the report could lead to a solution to the nuclear impasse, Jalili replied: "Of course. The recent report and the previous one by IAEA head Mohamed ElBardei are considered a clean bill of health on Iran's nuclear activities."
Mohamed ElBaradei, while briefing the 35-nation the UN's Board of Governors on Iran's nuclear activities last month, reported Iran had increased its coordination with the atomic agency and had made "good progress" in answering questions by the IAEA.
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