Posted on 10/09/2004 11:31:16 PM PDT by F14 Pilot
TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran would welcome a proposal by U.S. presidential candidate Senator John Kerry's running mate for a "great bargain" to solve the dispute over Tehran's nuclear program, a senior Iranian official said on Saturday.
Vice presidential candidate Senator John Edwards has said that Kerry, a Democrat, would be willing to supply Iran with nuclear fuel for power generation if Tehran abandons its own fuel-making capability - if Iran did not accept this offer, it would confirm Iran wanted to make an atom bomb.
Iran earlier rejected the proposal, saying it would be "irrational" for Iran to jeopardize what it says is its purely civilian nuclear program by relying on supplies from abroad.
But in an apparent policy shift, Hossein Mousavian, head of the foreign policy committee at Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said Iran would review the proposal.
"Iran welcomes any constructive proposal from any American candidate," Mousavian told Reuters in an interview. "We are willing to consider constructive proposals from Americans," he added.
But he said Iran, as a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), should be allowed to pursue its "peaceful nuclear program."
"Our legitimate right of pursuing peaceful nuclear technology should be considered," he said.
President Bush's administration says there is no point in offering incentives to Iran. Bush wants Iran referred to the U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions.
ELECTION CAMPAIGN
Mousavian said Iranian officials earlier rejected the Kerry camp proposal because they were not sure if it was part of the election campaign or a serious proposal.
He said Iran did not want to get embroiled in the U.S. election campaign. "If it is part of Kerry's election campaign ... we do not want to be part of it," he said. "Let the Americans play their game themselves."
Mousavian ruled out direct talks with Washington on Iran's nuclear program due to its "hostile" policy toward Iran. The United States cut diplomatic ties with Iran after radical Iranian students took dozens of U.S. diplomats hostage following the 1979 Islamic revolution.
"It is because of 20 years of mistrust... Up to now, Americans have not shown any sign of good will," he said.
Mousavian called on Europeans to resist U.S. pressure and treat Tehran's nuclear dossier "fairly."
"Why they do not open a chapter of cooperation?" Mousavian said. "This issue can be solved by political talks, not by resolutions."
Iran agreed to suspend its enrichment-related activities last year after talks with foreign ministers from Britain, Germany and France. But it recently resumed key parts of it.
The IAEA board of governors passed a resolution last month demanding Iran freeze all activities connected with enriching uranium or face "tougher actions."
Mousavian said Iran considers enrichment as its "legitimate right" and would not yield to such pressures.
Iran's conservative-dominated parliament has prepared a bill that would force moderate President Mohammad Khatami's government to resume uranium enrichment.
"Parliament is concerned over whether the government is capable of guaranteeing the nations right of having peaceful technology," Mousavian said.
ping
Translation: Iran already has enough enhanced weapons-grade nuclear material to build a number of bombs.
Kerry is a fool, and his Dem-lemming supporters are bigger fools.
Kerry and the Ayatollahs (Kerry's letter to Iran, blaming the US) (REPOST/REMINDER)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1240485/posts
On Feb. 8, the Tehran Times published a letter that Mr. Kerry's office sent to an Iranian news agency explaining why he should be elected president. The letter suggests that the Bush administration's objectionable behavior toward other nations is to blame for many of the world's problems. "Sadly, we are also painfully aware of how the actions and attitudes demonstrated by the U.S. government over the past three years have threatened the goodwill earned by presidents of both parties over many decades and put many of our international relationships at risk," the Kerry letter says.
Ever since the Iranian Revolution occurred during Jimmy Carter's presidency a quarter-century ago, Tehran has been hostile to the United States and one of the world's leading supporters of terrorism — providing funding, weapons, training and safe haven to groups like Hezbollah, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and even al Qaeda. But Mr. Kerry seems to believe that the crux of the problem isn't Iran's despotic, violent rulers, but President Bush's behavior toward them.
Where's that little banner when I need it....
The one that says 10 out of 10 Terrorists perferm John Kerry....
What is the connection between monkeys, aids and nuclear material?
Somehow I think that's called aiding the enemy in a time of war. Going behind the administrations back. Sound familiar?
Hanoi? El Salvador?
The one consisten position of Kerry is being anti-US and consorting with the enemy.
Republicans need to point this out.
The one that says 10 out of 10 Terrorists perfer John Kerry.
Rev up the new nuke bunker buster. JFK II just completely lost his argument on that one.
I love it. This is as good as an endorsement.
It's very good to see you. ;o)
I wish nothing but good things for Iran.
My prayers are with you.
Unbelievable.
We are seriously going to let Iran have nukes. We are going to give them this front to hide behind, just like we did for North Korea during the so-called "sunshine policy"?
Why don't we just hand them the nukes ourselves, and give them trajectory coordinates in case they would like to bomb us or Israel directly and get it over with.
Are we really going to put a man like Kerry in the White House at this critical point? I'm starting to get a glipse of how some of you older folks must have felt when Carter came into power.
Unreal. It's like there's something in mankind's collective head that says "no, being safe is just too boring. Let's spice it up some and give crazies from North Korea and Iran the power to blow up cities!"
One more try at error correction:
The one that says 10 out of 10 Terrorists prefer John Kerry.
NICE!!!
Phil, this is reall great!
I'd like to see this on TV.
Send it to Hannity, GOP, and the Bush campaign.
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