Iran Says Will Not Give Up Nuclear Plans
Coincidentally...
Bush may back off hard line on Iran
Iran Says Will Not Give Up Nuclear Plans
Tue Mar 1, 2005 07:30 AM ET
TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran said Tuesday it would not give up its disputed nuclear program in return for economic and political incentives, the official IRNA news agency said.
Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi reiterated that the Islamic state's nuclear program would be used to generate electricity and not make bombs, as Washington charges.
"Iran's legitimate right of having nuclear technology can not be exchanged for any kind of incentives," IRNA quoted Kharrazi as saying.
The European Union, led by Britain, Germany and France, has been trying to tempt Iran to turn a temporary freeze on its sensitive nuclear work, such as uranium enrichment, into permanent cessation in return for trade and other benefits.
While President Bush has not ruled out military action, U.S. officials said Monday he was close to deciding whether to join Europe in offering incentives to Iran in exchange for Tehran's agreement to give up nuclear weapons.
Tehran denies it is developing atomic arms and says its program is solely for generating electricity.
Kharrazi said Iran was determined to go ahead with its nuclear activities.
"It is not the right of our government to swap it. It is the Iranian nation's right," Kharrazi said.
"The Iranian nation would never allow giving up the country's nuclear program."
Inducements proposed by European officials included letting Iran eventually join the World Trade Organization (WTO) and providing Tehran with an Airbus airliner.
Kharrazi said Iran would review progress in the talks in mid-March before taking any decision on whether to resume uranium enrichment which it froze in November.
"We want to reach a formula which removes the Europeans' concerns and at the same time preserves our rights," Kharrazi said.
Asked about a possible attack by the United States, which has repeatedly said a nuclear-armed Iran would be unacceptable, Kharrazi said : "I believe the Americans have gained enough wisdom after the Iraq invasion to avoid attacking Iran."
© Reuters 2005
Bush may back off hard line on Iran
March 1, 2005
BY GEORGE JAHN
VIENNA, Austria -- The Bush administration suggested it was considering a major strategy shift -- joining Europe in offering Iran economic incentives to abandon its uranium enrichment program.
During President Bush's trip to Europe last week, leaders there urged him to join them in offering incentives such as eventual membership for Iran in the World Trade Organization.
They argued a united front would be more effective than a continuing U.S.-Europe split over how to deal with Iran.
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Signaling a possible U.S. shift, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Monday that Bush ''is thinking through some of the ideas that were discussed.''
The European approach -- offering a carrot to Tehran along with the stick of harsher actions if necessary -- had been flatly rejected by the administration ahead of the European trip.
Bush said Iran should not be rewarded, alleging past covert nuclear activities violated the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. However, as the trip progressed, the president seemed to exhibit more flexibility, leading to McClellan's statement Monday.
Meanwhile, the chief U.N. atomic watchdog chided Iran for delays in divulging key information about its nuclear program, saying the onus is on Tehran to overcome a ''confidence deficit'' caused by past cover-ups.
The United States and European nations worry that Iran wants to enrich uranium to produce weapons.
AP
Copyright © The Sun-Times Company
Bush may back off hard line on Iran
Iran Says Will Not Give Up Nuclear Plans
Tue Mar 1, 2005 07:30 AM ET
TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran said Tuesday it would not give up its disputed nuclear program in return for economic and political incentives, the official IRNA news agency said.
Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi reiterated that the Islamic state's nuclear program would be used to generate electricity and not make bombs, as Washington charges.
"Iran's legitimate right of having nuclear technology can not be exchanged for any kind of incentives," IRNA quoted Kharrazi as saying.
The European Union, led by Britain, Germany and France, has been trying to tempt Iran to turn a temporary freeze on its sensitive nuclear work, such as uranium enrichment, into permanent cessation in return for trade and other benefits.
While President Bush has not ruled out military action, U.S. officials said Monday he was close to deciding whether to join Europe in offering incentives to Iran in exchange for Tehran's agreement to give up nuclear weapons.
Tehran denies it is developing atomic arms and says its program is solely for generating electricity.
Kharrazi said Iran was determined to go ahead with its nuclear activities.
"It is not the right of our government to swap it. It is the Iranian nation's right," Kharrazi said.
"The Iranian nation would never allow giving up the country's nuclear program."
Inducements proposed by European officials included letting Iran eventually join the World Trade Organization (WTO) and providing Tehran with an Airbus airliner.
Kharrazi said Iran would review progress in the talks in mid-March before taking any decision on whether to resume uranium enrichment which it froze in November.
"We want to reach a formula which removes the Europeans' concerns and at the same time preserves our rights," Kharrazi said.
Asked about a possible attack by the United States, which has repeatedly said a nuclear-armed Iran would be unacceptable, Kharrazi said : "I believe the Americans have gained enough wisdom after the Iraq invasion to avoid attacking Iran."
© Reuters 2005
Bush may back off hard line on Iran
March 1, 2005
BY GEORGE JAHN
VIENNA, Austria -- The Bush administration suggested it was considering a major strategy shift -- joining Europe in offering Iran economic incentives to abandon its uranium enrichment program.
During President Bush's trip to Europe last week, leaders there urged him to join them in offering incentives such as eventual membership for Iran in the World Trade Organization.
They argued a united front would be more effective than a continuing U.S.-Europe split over how to deal with Iran.
[an error occurred while processing this directive]
Signaling a possible U.S. shift, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Monday that Bush ''is thinking through some of the ideas that were discussed.''
The European approach -- offering a carrot to Tehran along with the stick of harsher actions if necessary -- had been flatly rejected by the administration ahead of the European trip.
Bush said Iran should not be rewarded, alleging past covert nuclear activities violated the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. However, as the trip progressed, the president seemed to exhibit more flexibility, leading to McClellan's statement Monday.
Meanwhile, the chief U.N. atomic watchdog chided Iran for delays in divulging key information about its nuclear program, saying the onus is on Tehran to overcome a ''confidence deficit'' caused by past cover-ups.
The United States and European nations worry that Iran wants to enrich uranium to produce weapons.
AP
Copyright © The Sun-Times Company
posted by JimG at 9:10 AM
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