Posted on 08/10/2004 4:56:49 PM PDT by Clive
Iran has issued an extraordinary list of demands to Britain and other European countries, telling them to provide advanced nuclear technology, conventional weapons and a security guarantee against nuclear attack by Israel.
Teheran's request, said by British officials to have "gone down very badly", sharply raises the stakes in the crisis over Iran's nuclear programme, which Britain and America believe is aimed at making an atomic bomb.
Iran's move came during crisis talks in Paris this month with senior diplomats from Britain, France and Germany.
The "EU-3" were trying to convince Iranian officials to honour an earlier deal to suspend its controversial uranium enrichment programme, which is ostensibly designed to make fuel for nuclear power stations but could also be used to make fissile material for nuclear bombs. Iranian officials refused point-blank to comply, saying they had every right under international law to pursue "peaceful" nuclear technology.
They then stunned the Europeans by presenting a letter setting out their own demands.
Iran said the EU-3 should support Iran's quest for "advanced (nuclear) technology, including those with dual use" - a reference to equipment that has both civilian and military applications.
The Europeans should "remove impediments" preventing Iran from having such technology, and stick to these commitments even if faced with "legal (or) political . . . limitations", an allusion to American pressure or even future international sanctions against Iran.
More astonishingly, Iran said the EU-3 should agree to meet Iran's requirements for conventional weapons and even "provide security assurances" against a nuclear attack on Iran.
This is a reference to Israel's nuclear arsenal, believed to include some 200 warheads and long-range missiles to deliver them.
The EU-3 are still debating over how to respond, but British officials said the Iranian letter was "extremely surprising, given the delicate state of process". Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, will have to decide whether to adopt a more confrontational policy.
America is demanding that the board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which meets next month, refer Iran to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions. US officials are also openly discussing "covert" means of disrupting the Iranian nuclear programme, while Israel has openly threatened military action.
However, there were signs yesterday that the next report of Mohammed ElBaradei, the IAEA director general, may give Iran a boost.
A key mystery for the past year has been the source of traces of highly-enriched uranium (HEU) found by IAEA inspectors at several sites in Iran. Teheran claimed this was "contamination" of equipment imported from other countries, rather than proof that it had secretly made HEU.
According to diplomats, inspectors have confirmed that in at least one case the contamination did come from Pakistan, as Iran claimed.
Other contamination issues remain unresolved, and may never be settled. Moreover there are several other open questions.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1133059/posts
"Will An Israeli Attack On Iran's Nukes Be Bush's October Surprise?"
President Bush: Hello.... Hi Mr. Sharon
Ariel Sharon: I think it's time to implement operation "Reactor Cracker"
President Bush: OK, at 23:00 hrs I'll launch the Cruise Missiles, at 23:15 hrs you launch the fighters, the students will do the rest
Ariel Sharon: Okie Dokie
President Bush: "Lets Roll"
You're spot on... this is not the typical cowardly Muslim behavior... this is the behavior of folks who think they have a bomb, or will have one real soon.
It sounds like they're already making outrageous demands to me.
"Show us how to make nuclear weapons and promise to defend us against Israel" is pretty damned outrageous. A prelude, to something I fear.
The mullahs are probably HOPING that Israel hits them with nukes so they can cling to power. I fervently hope that our government is arming and training the democratic opposition at this very moment. Patriotic Persians need to prevent this trajedy by overthrowing the mad mullahs before the nukes begin to fall.
They are asking for war.
They're likely to get it. They're not North Korea. They have no bargaining chips.
Frankly, while it couldn't hurt, it's probably already too late to take out the reactor and stop them from getting nukes.
I'm sure they've secreted away some substantial quantity of enriched uranium by this point in time.
Make sure to save copies of where John Kerry declared that his plan for dealing with Iran was to give them "nuclear fuel" so long as they promised not to use it to make bombs. In the Kerry campaign's typically Orwellian way, I imagine that it will be "dissappeared" soon.
Eh, not the best analogy.
Such a demand also seems strange just before our election. With time to think about it, doesn't it seem likely that most Americans would figure that the cursed Muslim kerrorists were trying to strengthen Traitor John's hand (he'd back the French and they'd back whoever paid them well) and vote for Bush in time of crisis?
""Wanna bet that this will be blamed on Bush? How you ask?
He invaded the wrong "I" country. Then with the fine folks over in North Korea...Bush will be blamed for not paying attention to the real threats....oh boy...this is gonna suck.""
Oh I know man. Just when the Dems and the libmedia were starting to come around too. If not for this, I swear Carville/Moore/Jackson/Daschle/Rather/Jennings and Cher were just on the brink of joining our side. This is gonna suck alright.
Teheran's request, said by British officials to have "gone down very badly",
Gotta love that droll British humor...
How can they stun Europe ? I mean, just look at European history in the last century and now the majority of them are antiSemitic and hate America. Is there anything capable of stunning them ?
Iran said the EU-3 should support Iran's quest for "advanced (nuclear) technology, including those with dual use" - a reference to equipment that has both civilian and military applications. The Europeans should "remove impediments" preventing Iran from having such technology, and stick to these commitments even if faced with "legal (or) political . . . limitations", an allusion to American pressure or even future international sanctions against Iran.
More astonishingly, Iran said the EU-3 should agree to meet Iran's requirements for conventional weapons and even "provide security assurances" against a nuclear attack on Iran.
This is a reference to Israel's nuclear arsenal, believed to include some 200 warheads and long-range missiles to deliver them.
The EU-3 are still debating over how to respond,
They are debating on how best to deliver Israel into Iranian hands at maximum profit to Europe.
John Kerry in response said "Don't rush in to war with out a plan for peace" "I'm sure if it's OK with France and Germany, I don't see any problem with them joining the nuclear club."
The ultimatim will be along the lines of "Get everybody out of Israel by sundown." It will be delivered to the original sponsors, excluding Russia, of the State of Israel, who Iran believes still control Israel as a puppet state.
France has responded, haven't they?
Something to the effect of, "Gulp...."
But I thought that if we just had these European "allies" on our side, things would go swimmingly by just asking them real nice.
(P.S. My tagline is now more relevant than ever.)
Oh, well, they only needed them until they finished up on their nukes.
Kind of like a guy who dates an ugly girl willing to fill his needs until his dream girl comes on the market.
Europe is getting dumped for the bomb.
Now Europe, like the ugly dumpee, will probably end up redoubling its efforts to win Iran back.
That's a bad analogy too, actually.
I don't imagine there will be an ultimatium. I imagine that they'll just do it.
And probably attack US forces in Iraq too, while they're at it.
After all, I truly doubt if the US would use nuclear weapons upon anything other than a military target in retalliation. The screams from the left and from the "moderates" would be much too loud.
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