Posted on 11/24/2005 3:03:17 PM PST by DoctorZIn
Top News Story
EU may resume Iran nuclear talks-diplomats
By Louis Charbonneau and Mark Heinrich
VIENNA (Reuters) - The EU is ready to resume talks with Iran on its nuclear programme provided it agrees to discuss a Russian proposal that it shift plans to enrich uranium to a joint venture in Russia, diplomats said on Tuesday.
The talks could take place on December 6, even though Iran has failed to meet an EU demand that it stop uranium conversion -- a stage before enrichment in the nuclear fuel cycle.
In a bid to avert a crisis over Iran's atomic programme -- which Washington says is designed to produce nuclear bombs -- Moscow has proposed that Tehran be allowed to continue to convert uranium ore but then ship it to Russia for enrichment.
"We are considering a meeting in December in Vienna. The Iranians would have to say they want to meet and talk about the Russian proposal," a diplomat from the so-called EU3 -- France, Britain and Germany -- said on condition of anonymity.
"December 6 is pretty much fixed as the date," he said.
Under a proposal by Russian President Vladimir Putin, which has been backed by U.S. President George W. Bush, Iran would shift uranium enrichment to Russia as part of a joint venture.
Uranium enrichment is the most sensitive part of the nuclear fuel cycle since it can produce weapons-grade material. Iran says its nuclear programme is purely for generating electricity.
The EU3 had previously insisted that Iran halt all sensitive nuclear work, including uranium conversion, before it would resume talks. The EU diplomat said the EU3 were prepared to make a major concession in the interests of resuming dialogue.
Britain confirmed that a meeting with the Iranians was under consideration.
"We will consider next steps, including a possible meeting with the Iranians after the board," a British Foreign Office spokesman said, referring to a meeting on Thursday of the International Atomic Energy Agency's board of governors on Iran.
No official comment was available from Tehran. But Iran has stressed repeatedly that it aims to enrich uranium domestically, calling this a sovereign right.
NO REFERRAL
Other EU3 officials confirmed a meeting was under consideration.
But they said many aspects -- including the timing, the venue and the seniority of officials who would attend -- were unclear and warned that the plans for a meeting might yet be derailed.
In addition to Vienna, Brussels and Geneva were possible venues for a meeting, one EU3 diplomat said.
The EU3 have been trying to convince Tehran to renounce all sensitive nuclear work in return for political and economic incentives.
They broke off talks in August after Iran resumed mothballed uranium conversion work at its plant in Isfahan, and had threatened, along with the United States, to send Tehran to the U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions.
On Monday, EU and U.S. officials said they would not push the IAEA's 35-nation board to refer Iran this week to the U.N. Security Council. They cited a desire to allow Iran more time to think about the Russian plan.
(Additional reporting by Francois Murphy in Vienna and Madeline Chambers in London)
- Iran Press News reported that a group of teachers from Qazvin protested in front of the Islamic Parliament’s Assembly.
- Iran Press News reported that a Kurdish journalist sewed his mouth up in the Marivaan Prison in protest.
- Iran Press News reported on the gruesome murder of a Sunni cleric and his son in Kermanshah.
- Iran Press News reported that with the sum total of the regime’s debts exceeding $40 billion and the decrease of oil prices this leaves the regime with 8 months worth of monetary reserves.
- Iran Press News reported that a group of the Evin prison guards stormed ward 350 of the prison and beating the prisoners confiscated their books, tapes and personal belongings.
- George Jones, The Telegraph UK reported that Tony Blair said: Iran would pose a serious threat to world stability and peace if it developed a nuclear capability.
- Bronwen Maddox, The Times UK reported that Iran’s new President has sidestepped a fight with the rest of the world Thursday.
- Ha'aretz reported that Germany's Angela Merkel's new government will supply two German-built Dolphin submarines to the Israel Navy. This will offer Israel the most reliability when it comes to second-strike capability.
- Mehdi Khalaji, The Washington Institute produced a concise review of Tehran's renewed war on culture. A must read.
- ABC News reported that Iran's Supreme Leader urged visiting Iraqi officials to ask U.S.-led forces to leave their country.
- Amy Kellogg, FOX News released the first of her reports from inside Iran: A Country at a Crossroads. Video also available.
- Claude Salhani, United Press International provided details of North Korea's aid to Iran's secret tunnels reportedly used for their nuclear weapons program.
- The Middle East Quarterly reported on the Iranian security forces arrest of 28-year-old Iranian journalist and weblogger Arash Sigarchi and other bloggers.
- Adnkronos International reported that Iran's religious authorities officially invited Cuba's revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, to convert to Islam.
- And finally, Advarnews published photos of a ceremony held to remember the victims of the chain murders of Iranian dissidents.
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UN concessions, that will show them that via worldly concerns we mean business!
These useless talks will take us nowhere
Vienna, Nov. 24 – Several thousand Iranian exiles braved the winter snow and rallied on Thursday outside the headquarters of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog in Vienna to call for the immediate referral of Tehran’s suspected atomic weapons file to the Security Council to face economic sanctions and a comprehensive oil embargo....Two former Iranian nuclear scientists who defected from Tehran several years ago, Alireza Assar and Manouchehr Fakhimi, warned the international community in their addresses during the rally that the world faced a serious threat of being confronted with a nuclear-armed Iran.
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