Straw Defends Diplomacy with Iran
July 04, 2004
BBC News
BBCi
Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has told BBC Radio Four that "bit by bit", progress is being made in Britain's relationship with Iran. He said the fact that a diplomatic incident had arisen was "unfortunate".
But he firmly defended the joint diplomatic efforts by France, Germany and the UK on the Iran nuclear dossier.
Iranian authorities recently detained eight Britons who had entered Iranian territorial waters in the Shatt al-Arab waterway for three days.
The men were training the Iraqi river patrol service in the waterway, which forms the border between Iran and Iraq.
'Productive' cooperation
Mr Straw said he hoped the squabble could be solved satisfactorily, and praised the overall progress in relations with Iran.
"On the whole, the co-operation we have received from Iran both in respect of Afghanistan and Iraq had been good and productive," he said.
"We got the men back, which was the prime matter, but there are other matters still outstanding and then we can move on."
With regard to the concerns of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) over Iran's possible plans to develop nuclear weapons, Mr Straw said there had not been "full co-operation" by Iran, but insisted the current approach by France, Germany and the UK was correct.
"What I say to you critics is: What's your alternative?
"What we are seeking to do is to get the Iranians to accept that they have been under long-standing obligations to meet their commitments under the non-proliferation treaty.
"We are certainly a long way further forward in terms of getting to meet those commitments."
Asked whether he believed Iran's claims that it has no intention of developing nuclear weapons, he replied: "I'm not sure."
Israel's role
With regard to Israel's nuclear capability, Mr Straw argued that the territorial integrity of Iran was not being questioned, whereas that of Israel was.
"I don't happen to approve of a lot of the actions that the government of Israel takes, and I make that very clear.
"But I also say that if you want a nuclear-free Middle East, you have to ensure that first of all it is the Arab and Islamic countries that remove their threat to Israel, and then we can put a great deal more pressure on Israel to abandon its undoubted nuclear weapons programme, which has been there... for defensive purposes."
Mr Straw was adamant that the current diplomatic effort was the only meaningful approach to solving the problem.
"Iran is a very important country. It's the dominant player in the region, so you can't ignore it.
"And I think the approach we have adopted and have been working on very closely with France and Germany, particularly on the nuclear dossier, is the right approach."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3864857.stm
Iran-Syria call for foreign troops pull-out
BAGHDAD: Iranian President Mohammad Khatami and Syrian President Bashar Al Assad called for the rapid departure of foreign troops from Iraq yesterday.
"The solution is the quick end to the occupation, the installation of a government comprising all elements of the Iraqi people and the co-operation of the international community to bring stability and reconstruction," Khatami said.
"We have always been in agreement with Iran on the need for Iraq's territorial integrity, a representative government and the departure of the occupying forces," said Al Assad, on a two-day visit to Iran.
Both Syria and Iran have been accused by the United States of supporting anti-coalition insurgents inside Iraq, which Tehran again hit back yesterday.
"The erroneous actions of the US occupiers is the main cause of insecurity in Iraq," Iran's Isna news agency quoted Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi as telling UN envoy for Iraq Lakhdar Brahimi on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Iran - which fought a catastrophic eight-year war against the former Iraqi president - said it will soon file its dossier against Saddam Hussein - who was on Thursday charged with crimes against humanity in a Baghdad court.
"One of the crimes of Saddam is the attack against Iran, the deaths of Iranians, the use of chemical weapons. We have prepared a complaint which will be filed to the tribunal," a foreign ministry spokesman in Tehran said.
http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=85995&Sn=WORL&IssueID=27107