Posted on 01/08/2006 9:11:10 PM PST by DoctorZIn
Top News Story
The Age
Unified stand on atomic Iran
THE five major nuclear powers are working on a joint statement that aims to show unusual unified resolve and put fresh pressure on Iran not to resume nuclear fuel research, United States officials and diplomats said on Friday.Iran, making a confrontation increasingly likely, has defied the international community with its threat to resume atomic fuel research and development on tomorrow, after shelving it more than a year ago at the West's insistence.
In an effort to put new pressure on Iran, the US, Britain, France, Russia and China were working on a statement opposing the Iranian move and urging that Tehran return to negotiations on a compromise proposal.
Although the statement is not expected to contain specific threats, such as bringing Iran to the UN Security Council where sanctions could be imposed, officials said it could have a significant political impact.
"It's another ratchet upward in terms of diplomatic pressure" because it is the first co-ordinated initiative on Iran by the five nuclear weapons states and would "show unity and cohesion among the P5, which has not always been there", said one US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
P5 refers to the fact that the five nuclear powers are also the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.
The aim was to issue the statement over the weekend, but there was still some debate, officials said. China was resisting joint action and wanted each of the five nuclear powers to issue separate statements.
But one diplomat was optimistic that problems could be overcome, saying: "There is a sense that it will not necessarily be the toughest demarche, but there is a consensus."
Russia, which is building Iran's nuclear plant at Bushehr, and China have been the most reluctant of the five to accept that Iran's nuclear activities are a serious concern.
Iran says it needs nuclear technology to generate electricity and denies Western accusations it wants to build nuclear weapons. International Atomic Energy Agency inquiries have unearthed no clear proof of weapons activity, but Iran has acknowledged pursuing covert energy-related nuclear programs for 18 years.
Russian and Iranian officials are also to meet in Tehran this weekend and diplomats say the talks could have a major impact on whether Moscow backs stronger future action.
- Adnkronos International reported Ahmadinejad is seeking to forge a common front against the US between Cuba's Fidel Castro, Venezuale's Hugo Chavez and the recently elected Evo Morales of Bolivia.
- Islamic Republic News Agency reported the Supreme Leader's representative for Haj affairs has urged Iranian pilgrims to spread the real Islam to the world.
- Paul Anderson, BBC News reported that the first day of talks between Iranian and Russian diplomats and experts on Iran's nuclear program has ended satisfactorily.
- IranMania reported that the fact finding team working on the C130 crash has delivered its report to Armed Forces Judiciary.
- Manya A. Brachear, Chicago Tribune reported on the death of Iranian prisoner, Dhabihu'llah Mahrami, who was repeatedly asked to disavow his Baha'i Faith which he refused to do.
- The Jerusalem Post reported that the European Union told Iran it may doom any further negotiations if it resumes its uranium enrichment program.
- Dow Jones Newswires reported that Iran and Russia began talks Saturday to clarify what Tehran has described as "ambiguities" in a Russian proposal.
- The Economist reported on Ahmadinejad's nuclear gamble.
- Amir Taheri, The New York Post reported on the political earthquake that is following Ariel Sharon's stroke.
- Omid Memarian, Rooz Online reported that both Russia and China oppose Iran becoming a nuclear power.
- And finally, Sunday Times reported that an 18-year-old Iranian woman has been sentenced to death for killing a man she said tried to rape her.
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Sounds like potentially a very positive and constructive development. But we'll have to wait and see what kind of statement is actually issued by Russia and China.
This is a meaningless development. The Ayatollahs will be unmoved even if it comes about. They know that Russia is their biggest arms supplier and has helped them with their nuke program for years, looking the other way as Iran moved inexorably to nuclear weapons. As for China, they sell Iran arms as well and buy much needed oil from the Ayatollahs. And, finally, we have our friends the Frogs. They will talk a good game, but the French firms like Total SA, Alcatel, BNP Paribas, and Technip Coflexip, do billions of dollars of business with the ayatollahs every year. What are the French gonna do? Vote sanctions on the Iranians? Don't hold your breath. Participate in a military operation to take out Iran's nuke sites? ROTFLMAO!!!
I tend to agree that this "development" will amount to nothing. It is "significant" only in the sense that it will buy the Iranians more time to build a nuke while the "P5" formulate their strategies, "assess" Iranian responses, consult to determine what "sanctions" might be imposed, impose and "monitor" the effectiveness of the sanctions, etc.
My take on the situation is that it's getting too urgent for much more delay. Sec. of State Rice made a statement last week that "it's time for the world to make some decisions on Iran." That sounds like a definite signal that the situation is now urgent. There was another thread in which Israeli intelligence was quoted as saying Iran could have a working nuclear weapon in 12-24 months. If that's true, and I believe it is, this issue is getting very serious and 2006 will be the year this problem is resolved one way or the other.
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