Iran tries to hide truth about its nuke program

NY Times:

Iran has told the International Atomic Energy Agency that it will refuse to answer questions about a second, secret uranium-enrichment program, according to European and American diplomats. The existence of the program was disclosed by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad earlier this month.

The diplomats said Iran had also refused to answer questions about other elements of its nuclear program that international inspectors had focused on because they could indicate a program to produce nuclear weapons. The diplomats refused to be identified because of the delicacy of continuing negotiations between Iran and the West.

Separately, Mr. Ahmadinejad said he saw no need for Iran to hold talks with the United States about Iraq now that a new government had been formed, declaring at a rare news conference that with the formation of a government "the occupiers should leave and allow Iraqi people to run their country."

Together, the actions seem to show Iran's determination to move ahead with a confrontation with the West when the United Nations Security Council meets, probably next week, to debate its next steps.

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These are not the actions of someone who wants peace. Saddam was at least smart enough to fake compliance. The Iranians are about as blatant as they can be about their hostile intentions to the US and Israel. Those who think that diplomacy can be effective with this bunch of zealots are seriously misleanding themselves. It is hard to see how bombing can be more counterproductive than diplomacy has been.