Wiesenthal Centre to new EU Foreign Minister: “Investigate military nuclear technology violations of sanctions regime as condition for any further talks with Iran”

SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTRE - EUROPE
Tel. +33-147237637 - Fax:+33-147208401
E-mail: csweurope@gmail.com

“Reality suggests these egregious examples of sanctions-busting are but the tip of theiceberg, thus turning the 5+1 negotiations into a tragic farce.”

“The spectre of a nuclear-weaponized Iran is a 1938 Munich scenario of destruction for any hope ofconflict resolution across the Middle East. Europe's appeasement then cost 50 million lives. It must not be repeated.”

In a letter to newly appointed European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security, Federica Mogherini, the Simon WiesenthalCentre Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon Samuels, expressed the Centre's apprehension “at today's seven month extension of talks with Iran on its nuclear capacity, while thelessons of the past nine month round point to a lack of Western power and political will to deal effectively with Teheran's aggressive intent.”

The letter stressed that, “symptomatic of our concern is the fact that, while the EU was present in Vienna at the 5+1 negotiations, anAustrian academic initiative has been undermining E.U. commitments.”

Samuels referred to the NGO, 'Stop the Bomb',which “last week exposed how Austria - the host country of the negotiations and of theInternational Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) mandated to monitor the Iranian menace - has itself been lax in disciplining violations of the EU sanctions regime:

- Montan University of Leoben's Vice-Rector together with the CEO of Austria's International Education and Research Agency visited SharifUniversity of Tehran only this month

- according to Iranian sources, the same Montan University had also visited Iran in September to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with theShahid Chamran University in Ahvaz

- Vienna Technical University's Institute of Chemical Technology and Analysis has, reportedly, referred to Sharif University as its 'AcademicPartner'

- Graz Technical University has, apparently, featured a representative of Sharif University on its conference programming.”

The letter recalled reports that “the EU Council of Ministers, on 7 November confirmed Sharif University's inclusion on its sanctions list dueto its role in the Iranian nuclear programme. It is reportedly described as:

'- having a number of cooperation agreements with Iranian government organizations which are designated by UN and/or the EU as operating inmilitary or military-related fields...

- cooperating with the Iranian Ministry of Defense and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC)

- having a broader agreement with the IRGC Air Force, which covers developing and strengthening the University's relations, organizational andstrategic cooperation'.”

Samuels added that “reality suggests these egregious examples of sanctions-busting are but the tip of the iceberg, thus turning the 5+1negotiations into a tragic farce.”

The Centre urged the High Representative to immediately launch “an EU-wide investigation into military nuclear technology and precursorviolations of the sanctions regime as a condition for further talks with an Iranian regime that is clearly exploiting the ongoing 5+1 exercise to attain nuclear weaponization, while denying theHolocaust only to make it a reality as evoked in its genocidal threats against Israel, by sponsoring international terrorism especially through EU banned organizations such as Hezbollah and Hamasand persecuting women, Gays and Bahais.”

“The spectre of a nuclear-weaponized Iran is a 1938 Munich scenario for destruction of any hope for conflict resolution across the MiddleEast. Europe's appeasement then cost 50 million lives. It must not be repeated,” concluded Samuels.

For further information please contact Dr. Shimon Samuels (00) 33 609 70158.