Posted on 11/10/2005 12:08:45 PM PST by NormsRevenge
VIENNA, Austria - The United States and Europe have agreed on a compromise plan to accept expanded nuclear activities by Iran, but only if the enrichment process — a possible pathway to nuclear arms — is moved to Russia, senior officials and diplomats said Thursday.
If accepted by Iran, the proposal could end a tug-of-war over whether to refer the Islamic republic to the U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions.
The officials and diplomats, who demanded anonymity in exchange for discussing the strategy, said the plan would allow Iran to continue converting raw uranium into the gas that is spun by centrifuges into enriched uranium.
But actual enrichment would take place in Russia, they told The Associated Press.
Depending on its level, enrichment can be used to generate energy — Iran's stated interest — or make nuclear weapons — something the United States and its allies say Tehran wants to do.
In August, Iran resumed uranium conversion. That prompted Britain, France and Germany to break off talks with Tehran meant to dispel fears about its nuclear agenda. It also led a September meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-nation board to approve a resolution clearing the way for Iran's referral to the U.N. Security Council at a Nov. 24 board session.
The IAEA is probing nearly 18 years of covert Iranian nuclear activities, including experiments that could be used in weapons development, which were revealed more than three years ago. It recently agreed to accelerate cooperation with IAEA inspectors to blunt the threat of Security Council action.
Publicly, the Americans and the three European nations representing the EU in the talks have insisted Iran needs to stop all enrichment-related activity — including uranium conversion — to banish the prospect of Security Council referral.
But a senior European official told the AP the EU and Washington were now prepared to allow Iran to continue conversion as long as the gas produced was shipped to Russia and enriched there. That would allow international control over the level of enrichment, ensuring it was below the levels that can be used for weapons.
IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei "supports the efforts of the countries that are presently engaged in developing ... a proposal" acceptable to all, said Melissa Fleming, a spokeswoman for the Vienna-based agency. She declined to discuss specifics.
The New York Times first reported that the Europeans and the Americans had approved the new offer. But the European official emphasized that neither the Americans nor the Europeans were eager to claim the plan as their own.
Instead, he and a diplomat told the AP they were looking to the Russians to make such an offer and for ElBaradei to put the initiative to the Iranians.
Such a plan would give Washington, Paris, London and Berlin a chance to save diplomatic face after months of saying they would not accept conversion. With both Russia and China — veto-carrying Security Council members — likely to block any punitive action by the council, it would also allow them to back away from such a threat.
Russia had floated the proposal of cooperating with the Iranians months ago, and South Africa had made similar offers. But the Europeans and Americans were opposed.
And while Iranian officials have suggested internationalizing Tehran's enrichment program, the European official said the Iranians have up to now insisted on keeping all operations in Iran.
In Moscow, Nikolai Shingaryov, the spokesman for the Russian Federal Nuclear Energy Agency, said that he was unaware of any new plan to allow Iran to make a precursor of enriched uranium for further enrichment in Russia.
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Associated Press writer Vladimir Isachenkov contributed to this report from Moscow.
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On the Net:
http://www.iaea.org
We cave again.
"compromise"?
What a laugh. Any "compromise" with the Islamofascists is a loss for us and a win for them. There is no compromise with the Islamofascists. Get real.
I heard an interview on the John Batchelor program the other morning and the interviewee (can't remember his name) said that he was afraid this was going to happen. What in the hell is the matter with us?
By the way - I like you tagline.
Isn't Condi just fantastic.
In other words, such a plan would permit Iranian fundamentalist extremists to win.
Someone, please... say it isn't so.
This is unconscienable. Russia? Pah leeze
There's little we can do except bomb their reactors when they come online. The Russians are determined to give them Nuclear capability, and would help the Iranians get around any sanctions imposed by the international community.
As for Russia, we could sanctions them, but it seems they have already anticipated this by their moves to create a relationship with China. Sanction Russia and China steps up to fill the gap.
These are all the unintended consequences of granting China MFN Trade status. Biggest mistake we ever made.
I hear ya..
Our 'buddy' will act as an impartial participant and home base for Iran's peaceful production of non-weapon grade materials.
Hey, buddy, wanna buy a bridge? ;-)
WTF?!?
Does anyone know anyone who was working on the burrowing bomb project???
{{{In Moscow, Nikolai Shingaryov, the spokesman for the Russian Federal Nuclear Energy Agency, said that he was unaware of any new plan to allow Iran to make a precursor of enriched uranium for further enrichment in Russia.}}}
You'd think this guy might know something, but he is quoted saying he is unaware of such a plan.
I believe Russia has made it unequivocal that they plan on supplying Iran with this. Nothing we can do will stop them, it seems. Now, we could have a side deal with Russia to frustrate the Iranians real goal.
But before we go off the deep end, remember, Iran would have to agree to this. They want to be unfettered, and are getting more extreme, scary and bellicose by the minute.
Also, this is the Associated Press, for crying out loud. I am not going to decide anything about this until I hear a lot more from other sources.
Re your post #4: I completely agree. This country is so full of itself these days. Reality TV, cell phones, high speed Internet hookups, partying, etc., no one cares. It is a live the minute, and like Ms. O'Hara said: I will worry about it tomorrow. People just do not realize the price that has been paid for them to do what they do in the freedom they enjoy. Oh, well, who cares. We'll worry about it tomorrow (sarcasm still on, I really never turn it off).
We've lost our way. I wonder if we have the will to remain free.
Oh good. Problem solved...
We've made a deal with Putin? We guarantee no nuclear arms in Iraq, and he guarantees no nuclear arms in Iran? In this case, there would be a significant cooperation between the US and Russia in the GWOT.
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