Reply #16: I believe paragraph 4 is wrong or a bit misleading.

[oblivious]

Unlike Israel and the United States, Iran has abided by the rules of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, of which it was an original signatory, and has allowed routine inspections under its legal obligations - until gratuitous, punitive measures were added in 2003, at the behest of Washington."

Pilger implies that Iran stopped allowing routine inspections when punitive measures were added in 2003. As I understand it, exactly the opposite is the case. Iran began complete compliance in 2003 to rebuild confidence after it revealed some secret work had been done earlier. In 2003 it even signed the additional protocol voluntarily stopping uranium enrichment. It was not something that was forced upon Iran. It voluntarily signed the additional protocol and allowed stepped up inspections starting in 2003.