Agency OKs Tougher Nuclear Inspections

The International Atomic Energy Agency adopted a tougher program of nuclear inspections to try to thwart attempts by nations to secretly build nuclear arms. The Vienna-based U.N. agency approved the new measures after five years of negotiations among more than 130 member nations. The new program would allow IAEA inspectors to check any undeclared installations, especially research and development sites. In addition, inspectors need only give 24-hour notice to visit a site, and state-of-the-art technology will be used to verify nuclear program reports submitted by nations. “A good deal of what we are now doing is based on the lessons learned in Iraq,” agency chief Hans Blix said. “That Iraq was able to build up an enrichment capacity and design a nuclear weapon proved our safeguards system did not give us enough access to enable discovery.”