Posted on 01/21/2006 4:32:37 PM PST by familyop
Germany's defense minister said in an interview released Saturday that he is hopeful of a diplomatic solution to the impasse over Iran's nuclear program, but argued that "all options" should remain open.
Asked by the Bild am Sonntag weekly whether the threat of a military solution should remain in place, Franz Josef Jung was quoted as saying: "Yes, we need all options."
"But absolutely everything must first be tried to reach a good result by diplomatic means," Jung added. "I am confident that there will be a diplomatic solution in the case of Iran."
Germany, France and Britain have led European efforts to address concerns that Iran might seek to develop nuclear weapons - worries that Tehran insists are unfounded.
After Iran broke UN seals at a uranium enrichment plant and said it was resuming nuclear research after a two-year freeze, the three nations on Jan. 12 said talks were at a dead end and called for Iran's referral to the UN Security Council.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Tehran might still agree to Moscow's offer to move its uranium enrichment program to Russia, a step backed by the United States and Europeans as a way to resolve the deadlock.
On Saturday, the German weekly Der Spiegel reported that Iran has declared itself willing to talk about the Russian offer, with one condition: that China, another powerful ally, also participate.
The magazine, which cited no sources, said the message from Iran's foreign minister was passed by Egyptian officials to German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier when he visited Cairo on Thursday.
The German Foreign Ministry declined to comment. Diplomats familiar with the case in Vienna, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak with the media, said they had no knowledge of such a message.
Egyptian diplomatic officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks, said they told the Germans that the Russians and Chinese should be given more time to convince the Iranians on the enrichment issue. The officials said they were not speaking for the Iranians.
In the Bild am Sonntag interview, Jung was asked whether the use of nuclear weapons could be ruled out - a reference to French President Jacques Chirac's declaration that nuclear arms could be used as a response to a state terrorist attack.
"We should not lead the discussion in this direction," he replied, stressing again the need to seek a diplomatic solution to the Iran crisis along with the United States, Russia and China.
Chirac mentioned no specific countries, but Germany's opposition has criticized his statement as being unhelpful in the Iranian crisis.
Also,...
German defense chief confident of diplomatic solution on Iran [Disagrees with Chirac.]
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1562471/posts
...same topic but different column!
...agreed. Western Europe is western Europe--all same thing.
And now is probably the time to move on Iran, if all is in place.
"German defense minister hopeful of diplomatic solution on Iran"
If it's okay with everybody here, I'm not going to hold my breath on this one.
Fire up the F-22's and Eurofighters.
Yeah, a diplomatic solution would be nice.
And, the demand for ice-water in hell continues.
I'm hopeful that I will win the lottery tonight. Oh, you have to buy a ticket?
He must be reading Chamberlain's biography.
Oh great, does that bring back memories.
I recall a time in college when an attache from the Russian consulate was speaking at a Q&A session, and I remember him quite clearly saying:
"That question will not be answered."
I suppose that he didn't understand fully just how that played here, him being more used to a Soviet audience.
I see no difference at all.
It seems like Europeans don't know what they want to do, French for nuke, Germans for diplomacy! That is European Union
Perhaps he either owns stock in Seimens or has a relative on their payroll. Seimens has done more for the Ayatollahs than anyone, with the exception of Hezbollah.
Well - what he thinks is of no matter and if he said what he thought, he wouldn't be a foreign minister.
If you want to hunt a rat you should show him an exit. Even if you want to kill it, the exit will make the pray focus on it and distract it from fighting. Cornerning somebody is good as long as he's not seeing it coming. Showing somebody that he's cornered would make him react unforeseen.
So far to theory.
I think Ahmedinedjad will use the nukes once he's got a good chance to send them to Israel. It doesn't take much nuclear fire power for the total anihilation of entire Israel.
Then he will rely on the west - we will hardly regard whole of Iran as a considerable colateral damage in the chase for him.
He must be preempted.
nor is there any difference to any politico throwing fog bombs.
Preemptive massive high-tech air raids through participating allies, all leading support in various capacities. Israel, American and the West's only option when it comes to the fanatical followers of the Mahdi is to attack first.
Today (Monday, Jan 23rd, 2006) is election day in Canada. I really believe the Conservatives have a viable shot at securing Canada's leadership in Ottawa, and a far greater working relationship with Washington as well as a working partner in the war on jihadist terrorism, the way things should be and were in years past. (Canadians do serve in Afghanistan)
"Asked by the Bild am Sonntag weekly whether the threat of a military solution should remain in place, Franz Josef Jung was quoted as saying: "Yes, we need all options."
As if German soldiers would participate in an action against Iran. Pretty brave of the minister to hold out the option of AMERICAN intervention. Nobody, not the Iranians, not the security council, German allies - NOBODY - believes that Germany or blustering France is going to do anything about Iran besides talk. It is actually embarrasing to see these 1st world countries impotently posturing about what they might do.
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