"Mr. Ahmadinejad? We've been sent here to 'Negotiate.'"
Posted on 09/02/2006 1:13:12 AM PDT by familyop
THE Italian Foreign Minister said today that Iran's desire to develop nuclear energy is "legitimate" provided the goal of the program was for "peaceful purposes".
"If Iran is looking to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, it is not only legitimate, but can also clear the way for cooperation" with other countries, said Massimo D'Alema.
He stressed that Iran's nuclear program must be peaceful.
"We must work so that Iran does not build a nuclear weapon," he said.
The comments by Italy's top diplomat came one day before a deadline set by the UN Security Council for Iran to halt its uranium enrichment work.
If it does not meet this deadline, Iran will face possible sanctions.
Enriched uranium is needed for nuclear fuel but can also be used to build nuclear weapons.
"We are in a delicate period and we have to look for clarification" from Tehran about its nuclear program and offer it "security guarantees", Mr D'Alema said.
He also said that while being firm and clear with Iran, it was necessary to make a "true offer of negotiation" because "it is difficult to convince someone if at the same time he is being threatened".
The group of six major powers negotiating the Iranian nuclear standoff – the United States, France, Britain, Russia, China and Germany – have made the suspension of uranium enrichment work a pre-condition for opening talks on expanding cooperation with Iran.
...related:
Rome, Paris can 'cooperate' on Iran
ANSA (Italy) ^ | 02SEP06 | ANSA (Italy)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1694212/posts
(No more Olmert! No more Kadima! No more Oslo! )
When, not if, Iran blows these European clowns off the map, I'm going to remember these times and barely miss a beat. These folks have about as much forsight as a corpse.
(No more Olmert! No more Kadima! No more Oslo! )
get the europeans to support Israel to join Nato or EU. Forcing the Europeans to defend Israel if attacked by Iran. If they want peace and they can trust Iran words, they got nothing to fear, right? right???
Interesting idea, but I doubt seriously whether the E.U. would go for it. Hamas or Hezbollah maybe, but forget Israel.
Italy...great food... cooked by cowards.
What's a matta you?...Gotta no respect!....
"Mr. Ahmadinejad? We've been sent here to 'Negotiate.'"
As allies, they are useless.
(No more Olmert! No more Kadima! No more Oslo! )
Get Pauly..... (Crime Story)...must be running around Vegas somewhere...Hey Boss what you want me to do???
Oh, I see! And I mispelled cannoli in the comment that I referred you to. It's a pastry and sometimes a crude reference to something else.
...cannolo, even (singular instead of plural).
The Vatican's a mighty tempting symbolic target.
Surely Italy, after it's rich, tortured, glorious, war-torn and checkered history cannot be this naive!
Not as tempting as Israel, NY, LA or Washington DC.
Especially considering they want to get all they can get out of the few nukes they may have.
. . .can only wonder whay part of 'threat' Italy does not understand.
. . .as for the 'security guarantees'; how about we agree, that any country who signs on to 'part one' here; will not suffer the threat of American intervention. . .i.e. we will not respond should any of them be attacked by enemy Iran.
.This should ease Italy's 'feelings' about Iran's feelings of negotiating under a threat. (Whereas, of course, Iran has NO bad feelings . . .of negotiating/blackmailing/threatening. . .the entire community of Western civilization. . .); but whatever, Italy and the world's et al's, can find their own comfort level. . .)
In reality, the most damning threat here, is this is this inane response to a nuclear insanity; an insanity which is evident - if only to the reason-capable. An insanity, which carries a promise and guarantee by a certified enemy.
LOL! :)
Iran has ALREADY broken it word! It was a signatory to the nonproliferation treaty! Lie to me once....shame on you. Lie to me twice ..... Bombs Away!
It is clear that Iran is not going to back down now in terms of having a nuclear program.
If you were trying to negotiate a peaceful solution (that doesn't include military attacks), you might offer "okay, you can have a nuclear power program but it has to be done under IAEA rules and supervision."
That would mean Iran having enrichment facilties that can enrich uranium to the 2% to 5% U235 needed for nuclear power plants (so far not on the table) but no enrichment beyond that and no secret enrichment facilities.
But Iran doesn't want that. They don't need power, they want nuclear weapons.
So the EU/Italy is just taking another chance to see if Iran will back down (but giving them a chance to save face through accepting an IAEA-supervised nuclear power program versus running a nuclear weapons program.)
Diplomatic option number 6 so far. Getting to option 10-9-8-7 ... soon.
And the answer is a long pause, and a smiling "no".
Imagine a medium sized country. This country has enormous energy reserves, the vast majority of which are exported. Now imagine the leader of this country saying that they need a nuclear program but only for energy purposes.
No thinking person could imagine this leader to be telling the truth.
Europeans on the other hand...
Iran has two Giant backers i.e. Russia and China and Iran knows that it is with their help that she can afford to stand up to the U.S.
EU also has business deals with Iran but is small fish (in the scheme of things) compared to China and Russia.
My guess is that even if the UN finally manages to impose sanctions, the sanctions won't be meaningful, won't be fully implemented and will be, basically, useless.
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