Posted on 02/24/2005 7:05:02 AM PST by Alex Marko
TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran said on Thursday it did not want the United States to become more involved in negotiations Tehran is holding with the European Union over its nuclear program. European leaders, including French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Shroeder, urged President Bush this week to join the EU approach of offering incentives to Iran in return for scrapping some atomic work.
Bush's national security adviser Stephen Hadley, said on Wednesday Bush would consider the use of incentives such as the membership of the World Trade Organization and the sale of civilian aircraft to Iran, when he returns to Washington.
But Iran, which strongly denies U.S. accusations it is secretly building nuclear arms, said it did not want Washington to join the nuclear talks with Britain, France and Germany.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran does not see any reason why the United States should join the negotiations between the three European countries and Iran on its nuclear program," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said.
"America's strategy is clear and it revolves around Israel. If America joins these negotiations they wouldn't make it any better, more like it would be worse," the official IRNA news agency quoted Asefi as saying.
"I hope the European countries continue to act independently in the negotiations," he added.
European diplomats privately acknowledge that talks with Iran are unlikely to succeed unless Washington throws its full weight behind them since many of the possible incentives for Iran would need U.S. backing.
Iran has frozen uranium enrichment, which can be used to make bomb-grade fuel, while the EU talks go on.
But it has said it will review the freeze in mid-March and refuses to contemplate scrapping enrichment for good as the EU and Washington want.
Good. To paraphrase TR "Don't speak at all and carry a Carrier Group."
Gee, I wonder why. Obvioulsy, Bush can't be bought off.
Sounds good. US will also not be party to any agreements either. No option is off the table.
Hmmm. I would like some context on this, but taken without such context, I don't like this consideration of incentives. In my opinion, Iran is already all too close to having a working nuclear device to be engaging in this type of discussion.
However, my opinion is not as informed as that of our national security folks. Let's hope that I am wildly off-base, and that we do indeed have the time to exercise the luxury of making such useless offers to the mad mullahs.
What a crock. Perhaps they would accept Jimmy Carter on the US side as I'm sure his history in these types of negotiations is to the Iranians liking.
The Mullahs certainly don't care about the welfare of their people any more than Kim cares about the welfare of his people, so what 'Incentives' will be offered? Whatever they are they can be expected to have the same results as our prior efforts in N. Korea. The path of these negotiations certainly mirrors those of the failed N. Korean effort.
This charade is wearing thin.
Calling grammar police.
So, that's the ploy - N. Korea wants only us, and Iran wants "not us". That way, nobody knows what's going on between the two. I guess Kerry and the other Dims would jump at this chance to display "statesmanship", but fortunately, President Bush is too smart and level-headed for it.
Don't worry Iran....we will have "nuclear talks" with you later.....Israeli or American jets will be talking to you.....
I could see the headlines in the NY Times:
"Planes Bush sold to Iran used in Nuclear attack on New York"
Ping of interest!
Iran acting out....again - Ping!
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