Posted on 05/05/2005 3:04:22 PM PDT by DoctorZIn
Top News Story
EU, Iran nuclear talks near collapse-diplomats
04 May 2005 19:32:33 GMTSource: Reuters
By Louis Charbonneau
UNITED NATIONS, May 4 (Reuters) - Talks between Iran and the EU's three biggest powers on the future of Tehran's nuclear program are near collapse as Iran threatens to resume sensitive atomic activities, European diplomats said on Wednesday.
In a deal reached with Britain, Germany and France last November, Tehran agreed to suspend all nuclear fuel-related activities while both sides tried to negotiate a long-term solution regarding Iran's atomic ambitions.
But Iran, unhappy with the slow pace of talks, said over the weekend it would resume some work related to enrichment, a process of purifying uranium to use in nuclear power plants or atomic weapons.
"It doesn't look good," a diplomat from one of the three nations told Reuters on condition of anonymity. "The talks could collapse."
Sharing Washington's suspicion that Iran is developing atomic weapons, the EU has offered economic and political incentives if Tehran scraps its enrichment program. Iran says its program is intended to fuel only power plants, not arms.
But four months of talks have have not convinced Iran to terminate its uranium enrichment program. Instead, Tehran is demanding to be permitted to gradually build up a commercial-scale enrichment complex under U.N. supervision that could hypothetically provide fuel for dozens of bombs annually.
The Europeans find this unacceptable, EU diplomats said.
The three European nations have also warned Iran that they would back U.S. calls to send Iran's case to the U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions if it resumed any enrichment-related work.
White House spokesman Scott McClellan said "a resumption of any enrichment and reprocessing activities would be contrary to that commitment that the Iranians made."
EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said in Washington that any enrichment activity by Iran -- from low-grade processing of raw uranium to its actual enrichment -- would be "completely unacceptable" to the Europeans.
Washington is increasing pressure on its EU allies to keep its promise to help refer Iran's case to the Security Council if Iran follows through on its threats, diplomats said.
ESCALATING THE ISSUE
The three European nations said in a March letter to EU President Luxembourg that it wanted Iran to continue its suspension of all uranium enrichment and plutonium reprocessing activities and cooperate fully with the U.N. nuclear watchdog.
"If ... Iran does not do so, then ... we shall have no choice but to support referring Iran's nuclear programme to the U.N. Security Council," the letter said.
Washington asked the three nations to prepare to refer Iran to the Security Council when the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency's board of governors meets next month in Vienna.
One diplomat said EU and U.S. officials met after the latest round of EU-Iran talks ended on Friday without a deal.
"The Americans have asked the EU-3 to help set up a road map for the June (IAEA) board meeting," he said.
The IAEA's governing board meets on June 13 -- four days ahead of Iran's presidential elections -- to discuss Iran.
Separately, intense U.S. pressure has scuppered the possible acquisition of a major Europeans plastics firm by an Iranian state-owned company, Iran said on Wednesday.
European diplomats and company officials have said many top European companies have been warned by Washington to stay away from Iran.
- Reuters reports that the United States is seeking the extradition of a former Russian atomic energy minister because he may have sensitive information on Moscow's nuclear ties with Iran.
- Radio Free Europe reports on the prospective candidates for Iran's next presidential election.
- Detroit Free Press reports that the Iranian government is forcing the end of production of the Paykan the Iranian made automobile.
- Adnkronos International reports that Iranian jails are adding a new prisoner "every 47 seconds."
- BBC News reports that the head of Iran's hardline judiciary has launched an unprecedented attack on police interrogators for extracting confessions.
- Dr. Demarche, a member of the State Department Republican Underground, reviews Europe's failure to look honestly at Iran about the Shehab-4.
- Richard Miniter explains the source of the media failures in Iraq.
- The Adventures of Chester reviews an article in Reason magazine, "All Nukes Are Good Nukes: Can the U.S. cobble together a new deterrence for a new world?," discussing such controversial topics as, should US combatant commanders be given wide latitude in the employment of nuclear weapons?
- The Washington Times is convinced we need an exit strategy from the EU3/Iran negotiations.
- The Guardian admits U.S. successes in the Middle East, but they still get it wrong.
- And finally, the U.S. Department of State reports on Secretary Rice, EU's Solana Discussion of Iran. Plus a disturbing update.
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No surprise. The EU is too wishy-washy. They never get anything done, just like the UN.
Surprise, surprise, the mullahs did not keep their word to the Euro-weenies.
They will collapse, and the Euros will waste another 6 months trying to bring them to the table again. All the while, Iran ramps up production.
So what? Is there actually an intelligent human being who believes a promise made to an infidel by an Islamic cleric is worth the toilet paper it is written on? To deceive the infidels is to please Allah.
Don't know if the Euros will ever go that far, Doc, but I'm right there hoping they will. I don't think the mullahs are afraid of the Belgian army.
"European diplomats and company officials have said many top European companies have been warned by Washington to stay away from Iran." I'd think their insurance companies would have already told them that. I've never seen a policy that allowed the insured to to recover damages caused by acts of war.
I guess that's a no-brainer which means ...
Mullahs' Conference.
Let's hope the conference was on nuclear enrichment. LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL
LOL
I have read bits and pieces about how Election Day in June will be the day that the people of Iran "speak out" against the current government.
Is this true? How big is the movement right now?
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