God's Vengeance

"I believe most are rather skeptical concerning the outcome because, well, Iran had a chance at the last meeting and didn't seize it." Senior Western official

The last meeting referring to an IAEA delegation dispatched to Iran to investigate what's been occurring at the various nuclear laboratories and installations, which took place over three days, last month. It was assumed that the IAEA at that time was given access to the plants and to records, but that was an incorrect assumption.

The simple fact being that while the IAEA representatives were prepared to tour facilities and check records, they were not given that opportunity. What did happen is that the Iranian authorities insisted that they keep discussing talks.

Which is to say limited discussions, no site visits, no scrutinizing records, but plenty of talking. And that talking consisted of "talks about talks". That's called deliberate procrastination and it's what Iran excels at. Delaying tactics, buying time, giving the impression that they're interested in divulging facts and figures, but not actually doing it.

Keep them guessing, that's the name of the game the Islamic Republic of Iran plays. Not quite in as crude a manner as say, North Korea, but not particularly subtle, either. Plenty of bluster, and declarations of peaceful intentions of how sad they are at being mislabelled and misunderstood, since they aspire only to be good citizens of the world, but that's the extent of their co-operation.

Now another IAEA delegation departed Vienna en route to Tehran. Five officials, led by Herman Nackaerts, IAEA's chief inspector, set for a two-day official 'visit', for meetings with the country's nuclear scientists and to inspect documents involved with their nuclear plans. And, notably, to visit the Parchin military base where it is believed that high-explosive tests involving nuclear warheads took place.

The two-man team is looking for "concrete results" from these talks. Despite Ali Akbar Salehi, Iran's foreign minister, warning beforehand that increased access - any access - is merely wishful thinking. "No. Their work has just begun", he stated. Just begun, and meant to stretch out for as long as possible, because the West tends toward gullibility and Iran is masterful at gulling.

It appears clear enough that these visits will only serve to validate what the nuclear energy has already concluded and reported on in their November document drawn from previously gathered intelligence. And which stated unequivocally that some of Iran's experiments could not possibly have any purpose other than the development of nuclear weapons.

It certainly does appear that the IAEA's next summary report due imminently, will provide additional proof for Israel's position that the time to put Iran's uranium enrichment and other sites out of commission is drawing ever tighter on the near horizon. Israel's pondering of a preemptive strike has the U.S. and the E.U. dreadfully anxious.

It is not they who will initially bear the brunt of Iran's full possession of the means to destroy a neighbour. They are more concerned over the more immediate and short-term and far less disastrous effects of a tightening energy market at a time when they are already struggling to regain a normal footing in their depressed economies.

As for Iran, it is once again entertaining itself and its neighbours by new military exercises meant to boost their air defences surrounding nuclear sites. And put the fear of God into those who dear challenge them. Four days of manoeuvres are planned for the deployment of missiles, anti-aircraft artillery, radars and fighter jets.

"These exercises aim to reinforce the co-ordination between the military and the Revolutionary Guards for a total coverage of the country's sensitive facilities, especially nuclear sites", according to the official IRNA news agency.

Fittingly, the manoeuvres, covering 73,400 square miles of southern Iran, have been code-named "Sarollah", not Farsi, but an Arabic word meaning "God's vengeance".