deal-lets-iran-inspect-its-own-nuclear-complex-daniel-greenfield

I sure hope Iran does a good job of inspecting itself.

August 19, 2015

I sure hope Iran does a good job of inspecting itself. Otherwise we might just miss its nuclear weapons program.
Obama has talked up how transparent and rigorous this nuclear deal is. Sure, even he supposedly isn't privy to the full details of the side deals. Call it "plausible deniability". Because those deals are so transparently rigorous that Iran will be conducting its own inspections.

Iran, in an unusual arrangement, will be allowed to use its own experts to inspect a site it allegedly used to develop nuclear arms under a secret agreement with the U.N. agency that normally carries out such work, according to a document seen by The Associated Press.
The agreement diverges from normal inspection procedures between the IAEA and a member country by essentially ceding the agency's investigative authority to Iran. It allows Tehran to employ its own experts and equipment in the search for evidence for activities that it has consistently denied — trying to develop nuclear weapons.

We can trust the Ayatollah.
Sure he might secretly develop nuclear weapons... but he wouldn't lie to us about it?

The White House has denied claims by critics that a secret "side deal" favorable to Tehran exists. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has said the Parchin document is like other routine arrangements between the agency and individual IAEA member nations, while IAEA chief Yukiya Amano told Republican senators last week that he is obligated to keep the document confidential.

It's usually those "routine arrangements" that have to be kept secret from everyone. Those routine arrangements that you deny exist, until it turns out they do exist and they're terrible.

The document suggests that instead of carrying out their own probe, IAEA staff will be reduced to monitoring Iranian personnel as these inspect the Parchin site.
Iran will provide agency experts with photos and videos of locations the IAEA says are linked to the alleged weapons work, "taking into account military concerns."
That wording suggests that — beyond being barred from physically visiting the site — the agency won't even get photo or video information from areas Iran says are off-limits because they have military significance.

So Iran's nuclear program is peaceful, which is why all IAEA inspectors will be barred from this nuclear site, which happens to be military. And Iran will give the IAEA photos of the site. If they ask nicely.
This seems like a great arrangement. Next time instead of raiding a drug dealer's house, the DEA should ask him to send some photos to show that he isn't keeping drugs inside.
So this incredibly rigorous inspection regime will have Iran sending the IAEA photos. They might be photos of their birthday party or the inside of a donkey, but they will be photos.

IAEA experts would normally take environmental samples for evidence of any weapons development work, but the agreement stipulates that Iranian technicians will do the sampling.
The sampling is also limited to only seven samples inside the building where the experiments allegedly took place. Additional ones will be allowed only outside of the Parchin site, in an area still to be determined.
"Activities will be carried out using Iran's authenticated equipment consistent with technical specifications provided by the agency," the agreement says. While the document says that the IAEA "will ensure the technical authenticity" of Iran's inspection, it does not say how.

Iran will be taking samples with its equipment. How could this plan possibly go wrong? Anyone who disagrees with letting a terrorist state send us samples clearing itself is just a warmonger.