US, France, UK Ask Iran to Open Secret Nuclear Site

Leaders of the United States, France and Britain on Friday condemned Iran's alleged deception to the international community involving covert activities in a new underground nuclear site.

They demanded that Iran "take concrete steps" to comply with related U.N. resolutions, or face dire consequence.

Appearing at a news conference before the plenary session of the Group of 20 summit, a solemn-faced U.S. President Barack Obama, with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy standing by his side, said the three countries have presented "detailed evidence" to U.N.'s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, that "Iran has been building a covert uranium enrichment facility" for many years.

Iran's newly unveiled uranium enrichment facility "is inconsistent with a peaceful (nuclear) program," the president said.

"Iran is breaking rules that all nations must follow," he said.

The Iranian government informed the IAEA earlier this week by letter about the existence of another nuclear enrichment facility in Qomin and said the facility has been there for years.

An Iranian news agency on Friday described the facility as being similar to Iran's known enrichment facility at Natanz. The IAEA has demanded further information about the facility and wants early access.

American sources said the nuclear enrichment facility has not been put into operation, but it could do so as early as next year.

Brown said news of Iran's covert nuclear facility should "shock and anger" the world.

He said that the international community has no choice but to "draw a line in the sand" by demanding that Iran abide by U.N. resolutions and open the facility to inspections.

Brown said Iran's actions have "hardened the resolve of nations concerned" about its nuclear plan.

"On October 1, Iran must know engage with the international community and join the international community as a partner if it doest not so, it will be further isolated," he said.

"Iran must abandon any military ambitions for the nuclear program," he added.

Sarkozy warned that Iran faces possible new international sanctions if it doesn't come clean on its nuclear program by December.

He said that Iran was in clear violation of U.N. resolutions in building a second plant to manufacture nuclear fuel and trying to hide if from the world for years.

Echoing Obama, Sarkozy said the new crisis threatens the entire international community.

He said it was built over the past several years in direct violation of resolutions from the Security Council and the IAEA.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad repeated his viewpoint that Iran had cooperated fully with IAEA inspectors, and that allegations of a nuclear weapons program are fabrications during a speech at the United Nations this week.

He did not mention the second nuclear facility.

The international community has been engaged in talks with the Iranian government if efforts to persuade it to abandon its nuclear plans. The United Nations has adopted a number of resolutions demanding Iran's compliance.

Iran is scheduled to hold talks with five permanent United Nations Council members, plus Germany next week in Geneva, Switzerland. The new revelations provide added urgency for the international community to speed up the negotiations.

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