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Iranian Alert - March 9, 2005 - Iran tells EU to back down on nukes
Regime Change Iran ^ | 3.9.2005 | DoctorZin

Posted on 03/09/2005 2:19:46 AM PST by DoctorZIn

Top News Story

Iran tells EU to back down on nukes

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iranian officials have threatened to break off negotiations with France, Britain and Germany if the three European Union heavyweights continue to insist that Tehran abandon all sensitive atomic activities.

European officials began a new round of talks with Iranian negotiators in Geneva aimed at working out a permanent resolution to the standoff over Iran's nuclear programme, which Washington says is a front to build atomic weapons.

Tehran insists it is intended solely to generate electricity and has rejected an EU demand to terminate its uranium enrichment programme, which could be used to produce fuel for nuclear power plants or atomic weapons.

"If the Europeans refuse our proposals in the talks during the next couple of days, their proposals will be strongly opposed by Iran as well," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi was quoted as saying by Iran's students news agency, ISNA.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, European diplomats close to the talks told Reuters no breakthroughs were expected.

In a further sign of defiance, Iran's parliament on Tuesday added a clause to next year's budget bill obliging the government to conduct feasibility studies for the construction of nuclear power plants that would generate 20 gigawatts (GW) of electricity.

The government has so far only announced plans for producing 7 GW of power from nuclear reactors by 2020. Iran's first 1 GW reactor is due to come on stream in late 2006. Despite abundant oil and gas reserves Iran says it needs atomic energy to preserve its export revenues from fossil fuels.

The official IRNA news agency said lawmakers also obliged the government "to take necessary measures to produce and supply part of the fuel" for the reactors.

COMPROMISE OR BUST

The EU says Iran must provide "objective guarantees" that it is not pursuing atomic weapons -- which they say can be nothing short of a termination of enrichment. Iran says increased inspections and limits on enrichment levels would suffice.

Sirus Naseri, a senior member of Iran's negotiating team, told Iran's state television from Geneva that without a compromise there would be no point in further negotiations.

"If ambiguities over the guarantees remain in place, continuation of the talks will be meaningless," he said.

This view was seconded by others in Tehran.

"If the Europeans demand and insist on cessation, it will mean the end of the negotiations," Ali Aghamohammadi, head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council's Propaganda Office, told state radio on Monday.

"In that case, surely we will resume our uranium enrichment activities. Also we will accelerate our activities to master the nuclear fuel cycle," he said.

On behalf of the 25-nation EU, the trio have offered Iran economic and political benefits if Tehran gives up enrichment.

In a significant shift in strategy towards arch enemy Iran, U.S President George W. Bush is leaning toward backing the EU offer of incentives, U.S. officials say.

However, he is demanding assurances from Europe that if Iran fails to cooperate, the EU will back a referral to the U.N. Security Council, which could impose sanctions.

Iran has frozen most of its enrichment programme as a voluntary confidence-building measure but has told the EU three the freeze would be short-lived. The Europeans want the suspension made permanent.

A Daily Briefing of Major News Stories on Iran:

Here are a few other news items you may have missed.


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"If you want on or off this Iran ping list, Freepmail DoctorZin

1 posted on 03/09/2005 2:19:48 AM PST by DoctorZIn
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To: Pan_Yans Wife; fat city; freedom44; Tamsey; Grampa Dave; PhiKapMom; McGavin999; Hinoki Cypress; ...
Join Us At Today's Iranian Alert Thread – The Most Underreported Story Of The Year!

"If you want on or off this Iran ping list, Freepmail DoctorZin”

2 posted on 03/09/2005 2:23:21 AM PST by DoctorZIn (Until they are Free, "We shall all be Iranians!")
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To: DoctorZIn
"If the Europeans demand and insist on cessation, it will mean the end of the negotiations,"

The idea here is non-proliferation... if Iran persists in this demand for nuclear armament (for peaceful means) then what we need is an endless round of sanctions to make the iranian people suffer.

That will teach those mullahs.

3 posted on 03/09/2005 2:29:46 AM PST by Samurai_Jack (ride out and confront the evil!)
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To: Samurai_Jack

EU Negotiators to Bloodthirsty Iranian Mullahs: IF YOU DONT COOPERATE, WE WILL HURT THE IRANIAN DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT!


4 posted on 03/09/2005 2:35:33 AM PST by Samurai_Jack (ride out and confront the evil!)
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To: DoctorZIn
Iranian officials have threatened to break off negotiations with France, Britain and Germany if the three European Union heavyweights continue to insist that Tehran abandon all sensitive atomic activities.

I was never a fan of Britain parlaying with the mullahs anyway; I hope Blair is now satisfied that speaking to them is a waste of time. The carrot has been tried - it's now time for the Mother of All Sticks.

Regards, Ivan

5 posted on 03/09/2005 2:40:15 AM PST by MadIvan (One blog to bring them all...and in the Darkness bind them: http://www.theringwraith.com/)
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To: MadIvan

What can the EU do that Russia and China cannot undo?

Unless, of course, you are speaking of military force, but then again, what can the EU do?

I'm only asking because this article, basides a sideways reference to what Bush "might" think, speaks only to the EU and Iran.


6 posted on 03/09/2005 2:49:52 AM PST by bill1952 ("All that we do is done with an eye towards something else.")
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To: bill1952

Britain can send the SAS behind the enemy lines to sabotage the Iranian facilities. It's tricky and expensive to redo all that - Saddam found it tough once the Israelis took out his reactor.

Regards, Ivan


7 posted on 03/09/2005 3:04:15 AM PST by MadIvan (One blog to bring them all...and in the Darkness bind them: http://www.theringwraith.com/)
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To: MadIvan
I like that the "Mother of all Sticks", let's just add to that the MOAB's and we just may have a winner. Amen.
8 posted on 03/09/2005 3:07:43 AM PST by gakrak ("A wise man's heart is his right hand, But a fool's heart is at his left" Eccl 10:2)
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To: Samurai_Jack

EU countries have already damaged the Iranian democracy movement by trading and dealing with the Mullahs.
Their deals make the Mullahs legitimate!


9 posted on 03/09/2005 3:15:31 AM PST by F14 Pilot (Democracy is a process not a product)
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To: gakrak; MadIvan
I like that the "Mother of all Sticks", let's just add to that the MOAB's and we just may have a winner

I second the motion to add MOAS (mother of all sticks) into the FR lexicon. Can we now bring the issue to a vote?

10 posted on 03/09/2005 5:20:12 AM PST by jriemer (We are a Republic not a Democracy)
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To: All

Iran's freedom is near and it is gonna be from the bottom up! God Bless the Persians


11 posted on 03/09/2005 5:22:49 AM PST by meanie monster
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To: DoctorZIn

"In that case, surely we will resume our uranium enrichment activities. Also we will accelerate our activities to master the nuclear fuel cycle," he said.'

Who in their right mind believes that they've stopped and aren't working at an "accelerated" pace now?


12 posted on 03/09/2005 5:43:55 AM PST by nuconvert (No More Axis of Evil by Christmas ! TLR)
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To: DoctorZIn
I have no problem with Iranian nuclear power plants, but we can not allow 1) heavy water reactors , 2) fuel processing or equipment for that, 3) storage of UF3 or UF6, 4) enrichment equipment (such as centrifuges etc.) and 5) heavy water production.

Thus it is OK to have Bushehr pressurized light water reactor, provided there is watertight control of the handling of the fuel and reprocessing outside Iran and that the 40-megawatt heavy-water research reactor at Arak 240 km south of Tehran, and the heavy water production plant there should be destroyed together with other heavy water reactors and enrichment equipment

Read more about enrichment here http://www.uic.com.au/nip33.htm
13 posted on 03/09/2005 5:47:51 AM PST by AdmSmith
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To: AdmSmith

Are you insinuating that the regime may have other than peaceful reasons for wanting nuclear facilities? tsk, tsk, tsk. They're only concerned about having electricity. ;~ p


14 posted on 03/09/2005 5:54:21 AM PST by nuconvert (No More Axis of Evil by Christmas ! TLR)
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To: nuconvert

Yeah, and they are willing to go to war with the whole world to have that electricity!


15 posted on 03/09/2005 6:38:09 AM PST by Edgerunner (Proud to be an infidel.)
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To: DoctorZIn

Bump!


16 posted on 03/09/2005 6:57:20 AM PST by windchime (Hillary: "I've always been a preying person")
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To: DoctorZIn
"President Bush's advisers ill-serve the president, the nation and, indeed, future generations by suggesting it is still possible to cut a deal with Iran that will allow the mullahs to retain the capabilities to build more bombs. It is time for more forceful action and there is not a moment to lose."

This is a quote from the MUST READ article, written by Ken Timmerman, mentioned in the Doc's daily news list above. Folks, make sure you read that article!!

17 posted on 03/09/2005 7:19:29 AM PST by Reborn
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To: nuconvert
Are you insinuating that the regime may have other than peaceful reasons for wanting nuclear facilities? tsk, tsk, tsk. They're only concerned about having electricity. ;~ p

Yes, but not only that, I am writing typos as well; it should have been UF4 and not UF3. ;-)
18 posted on 03/09/2005 7:27:47 AM PST by AdmSmith
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To: AdmSmith

sshhhhhh......I don't think anyone noticed.... ;~ )


19 posted on 03/09/2005 7:37:09 AM PST by nuconvert (No More Axis of Evil by Christmas ! TLR)
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To: DoctorZIn
Another good read on Iran!
20 posted on 03/09/2005 7:53:15 AM PST by Reborn
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