Tell us new lies!

Twenty-seven countries out of 35 on the International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors voted in Vienna for the resolution requesting the Director General, Mohamed El Baradei, to report Iran to the UN Security Council over its nuclear activities, with just three against (Cuba, Syria and Venezuela) and five abstentions. The decision follows days of intensive diplomacy at the agency and could lead to possible UN sanctions against Iran.

Iran denies it has been concealing efforts to develop nuclear weapons, maintaining its programme is only for producing energy and does not have a military aim. This decision could affect an offer by Russia, a major trading partner of Tehran's, to enrich uranium for Iran on its own soil. The two countries were due to meet to discuss the offer in two weeks. Tehran has also threatened to downgrade co-operation with the IAEA, and end any chance of a compromise on enrichment. Javad Vaiedi, deputy head of the Iranian Supreme National Security Council, said the vote was politically motivated, adding that Tehran's first response would be to resume full-scale enrichment of uranium.

Egypt made a proposal to include a reference to making the Middle East a nuclear weapon free zone. This was rejected by the US, which saw it as an attack on Israel's nuclear arsenal, but Washington eventually agreed to the clause after it received overwhelming backing from European allies. I will never be able to understand why should some countries be enttitled to have nuclear arsenal and others forbidden to develop programmes for producing energy...

Is Mr Bush preparing a new invasion? At least he could tell us new lies...