Iran has placed its nuclear experts under the control of the Revolutionary Guard, to prevent leaks about their clandestine nuclear weapons program: Sources: Iran Military Supervising Atomic Experts.

VIENNA (Reuters) - Iran’s Revolutionary Guards are overseeing some 400 nuclear experts in order to prevent further leaks of sensitive information about Tehran’s atomic facilities, an Iranian exile and informed diplomats said.

Alireza Jafarzadeh, who disclosed in August 2002 that Iran had a hidden uranium enrichment facility at Natanz and a heavy water plant at Arak, told Reuters his new information came from the same sources who told him about Natanz and Arak.

“According to the latest information I have from well-placed sources inside Iran, some 400 nuclear experts are now under the control and supervision of the Revolutionary Guards,” he said.

If true, this is disturbing. The sudden imposition of strict military control over Iran’s scientists may mean that Iran’s A-bomb project is nearing its conclusion.

Here’s an inadvertently accurate sentence from al-Reuters:

Since August 2002, the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been attempting to verify Tehran’s statements that its nuclear program is entirely peaceful.

Interesting way to put it, because that’s exactly what the IAEA seems to be doing—finding a way, any way, to “verify” that the mad mullahs are blameless, while giving them enough time to complete assembling several weapons.