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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| US urges Iran be punished |
| 2005-05-03 |
| The Bush administration said Monday that Iran was trying to build atomic weapons in secret and suggested the international community should respond by taking away Tehran's right to nuclear energy technology. Other world leaders attending a nuclear conference seemed to dismiss the U.S. call for punitive measures. Instead, they spoke of incentives and negotiations as a way of encouraging the Islamic republic to give up worrisome aspects of its energy program that could be diverted for weapons work. The Bush administration went into the conference hoping to increase pressure on Iran, but its speech highlighted the differences between the United States and its allies over how best to handle emerging nuclear issues. The crises in Iran and North Korea took center stage on the opening day of a month-long conference to review and possibly strengthen the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Written in 1970, the treaty provides countries that forgo nuclear weapons with access to sensitive technology to be used only for nuclear energy. As part of the deal, the five original weapons states -- the United States, France, Britain, Russia and China -- agreed to eventually eliminate their own stockpiles. The treaty is credited with reducing the spread of nuclear weapons, but it has come under enormous strain in recent years with the discovery of a nuclear black market and a decision two years ago by North Korea to walk away from the agreement. India, Pakistan and Israel never signed the deal, and North Korea now says it has nuclear weapons. The discovery of secret nuclear facilities in Iran two years fueled suspicions it was using its nuclear energy program as a cover for weapons work. So far, international inspectors have found no proof of a bomb program in Iran, which denies it intends to build nuclear weapons. But the top U.S. representative to the conference rejected both the findings of the inspectors and Iran's position. "For almost two decades, Iran has conducted a clandestine nuclear weapons program," said Assistant Secretary of State Stephen G. Rademaker. He said Iran had failed to live up to its obligations under the treaty and that "no state in violation" of its main articles should receive its benefits. Iran, which sent a high-level delegation to the conference led by Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi, was planning a tough response Tuesday. Kharrazi met privately Monday with German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer and with Mohamed ElBaradei, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, which is leading the inquiry in Iran. The Islamic republic has been engaged in two years of negotiations with Germany, France and Britain over the future of its nuclear energy program. The negotiations are guided by an agreement that Europe would offer Iran incentives in exchange for guarantees that the nuclear program is peaceful. But after a difficult round of talks last weekend, Iranian officials threatened to resume some nuclear work unless the European nations demonstrate progress in the negotiations. Kharrazi would not say which way the Iranians would go. "That depends on the decision of our leaders," he said. ElBaradei urged Iran not to make any unilateral decisions, but he acknowledged that the process between Iran and the Europeans is at "a delicate phase. There's no question about it." Fischer said it has been "a difficult negotiation, but the challenge is an important one." He said he hopes the Iranians will avoid any resumption of nuclear work while the negotiations are continuing. "We want to reach a success." Fisher did not accuse Iran of secretly working toward nuclear weapons and said the negotiations are aimed at achieving a permanent cessation of the more sensitive aspects of its program. Rademaker called for complete dismantlement of those components in a speech that focused heavily on Iran, mentioning the country 10 times. North Korea was mentioned half as often. "The assertion that Iran is making nuclear weapons hasn't been backed up by direct evidence," said Daryl G. Kimball, director of the Arms Control Association in Washington. "And the conference isn't going to endorse the plan Rademaker laid out when Iran and the Europeans are engaged in discussions about the program." Over the next four weeks delegates will discuss suggestions to limit the spread of nuclear weapons and technology. There is little agreement on most issues, including the conference agenda. U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan suggested the delegates "create incentives for states to voluntarily forgo the development" of nuclear energy programs that rely on sensitive technologies. And he called on the United States and Russia to move quickly toward reducing the thousands of nuclear weapons in their own stockpiles. "The use of security assurances would also help to reduce security concerns," ElBaradei told the conference as a reminder that countries such as Iran are more likely to keep their nuclear options open if they feel threatened. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #3 This is a fart gesture into a stiff wind. |
| Posted by: Captain America 2005-05-03 20:15 |
| #2 Great rant, .com! May be the Rant of the Day (tm)! Here's what summed it up for me: Over the next four weeks delegates will discuss suggestions to limit the spread of nuclear weapons and technology. There is little agreement on most issues, including the conference agenda. More talking and 4-star hotels/meetings. When they can't even f'ing agree on the AGENDA of the meeting, something's terribly wrong. I got to completely inform my wife (she wants nothing to do w/ this stuff) this weekend about the U.N. after she and I watched The Interpreter and Hotel Rwanda. Her eyes have been opened as to why 80-90% of the world's issues lie at the feet of the U.N. now! |
| Posted by: BA 2005-05-03 11:41 |
| #1 ''the international community should respond by taking away Tehran’s right to nuclear energy technology'' Right? What right? WaPo. They suggest it in the very first sentence to plant the seed that we are taking something away that is, by right, theirs. TFBS. WaPo. ''Other world leaders attending a nuclear conference seemed to dismiss the U.S. call for punitive measures.'' and ''its speech highlighted the differences between the United States and its allies'' We're all alone is the message. *sniff* Everyone disagrees with us - so we must be wrong. It's not that those who want to pursue negotiations to cut a sweet deal for Iran have no alternative, or are sympathetic to the Muzzy Bomb, or playing anti-US triangulation games, or are just foolish appeasers, no no no, of course not. It's cuz they're so sophisticated and right, and we're so dull and brutish and wrong. Force is bad, y'know. That's been peddled in the US since the end of Vietnam, at least - prolly well before that. It's called the Wussification of America. Anyone who uses force is obviously wrong and bad. It's flip side is that there are no ''bad'' or ''evil'' people in the world, except the US, of course. Right - everyone give Khomeini a big group hug. He'll change his tune and flowers will bloom. These notions are the ultimate Tranzi meme. There is one single quote by a US official, used merely to officially state the US position, one quote from the Iranians which does nothing to further the story or inform the reader, and five quotes from four of the appeaseniks who have no effective alternative to being appeaseniks - except for agreeing with or allying with the US, which is unthinkable. ElBaradei, arguably the guy most culpable for the rise of nuke programs in Nork and Iran, gets two quotes. Must be cuz he's so credible with his Int'l Law degree and zero technical expertise. The big finish is, basically, that the Iranians should be paid off, for some reason, and that they feel threatened - by the bad US, of course. That they developed a secret program, lied to the IAEA about it, broke the Non-Proliferation Treaty in several substantive ways, dealt under the table with Little Kimmie and Khan, and have ''bargained'' in bad faith with the E3 tools is obviously small stuff, to the WaPo tools. The flimsy lie that they need nukes when sitting on an ocean of oil and gas, and their conduct since the Mad Mullahs began this search for Muslim Viagra, demonstrates clearly to anyone who is not in league with them that the entire process is a sham. They want weapons. If they get them, they'll use them. The ONLY issue is this: will the US / Israel have to act alone to stop it? Everything else is wanking off. WaPo |
| Posted by: .com 2005-05-03 02:01 |