Posted on 01/16/2006 10:11:08 PM PST by Flavius
Iran breakthrough may be in sight FRASER NELSON POLITICAL EDITOR
Key points • Russia moves towards US and European stance on Iran; China silent • Iranian ambassador welcomes offer to move nuclear programme to Russia • Atomic agency chief says Iran could acquire nuclear weapon this year
Key quote "If they have the nuclear material and they have a parallel weaponisation programme along the way, they are really not very far - a few months - from a weapon" - Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency
Story in full A POTENTIAL breakthrough in the nuclear stand-off with Iran came last night when the Iranian ambassador in Moscow praised a proposal to move Tehran's uranium enrichment programme to Russia.
As Britain, the United States, Russia, France and China met in London yesterday to discuss how to handle Iran's illegal nuclear development, the country was facing the growing certainty that it would be referred to the UN Security Council.
While China remained resolutely silent on the possibility of sanctions - a move which it has the power to veto - Russia made significant moves towards the western stance on Iran's nuclear programme.
Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, said last night that his position is "very close" to that of the United States and Britain. And it appeared that he could hold the key to a resolution when Iran's ambassador to Russia, Gholamreza Ansari, welcomed an offer to move the Iranian uranium enrichment programme to Russia.
Such a move would mean Iran, which is developing a missile which could reach Israel, could not acquire enough material for a bomb.
"As far as Russia's proposal is concerned, we consider it constructive and are carefully studying it. This is a good initiative to resolve the situation. We believe that Iran and Russia should find a way out of this jointly," said Mr Ansari.
Mr Putin emerged from separate talks with Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, saying he was treating the situation with caution - but he in no way condoned Iran's decision to break the seals from its uranium enhancement plants a fortnight ago.
"We need to move very carefully in this area. I personally do not allow myself a single careless announcement and do not allow the foreign ministry to make a single uncertain step," he said. "We must work on the Iranian problem very carefully, not allowing abrupt, erroneous steps."
Mr Putin's words were welcomed by diplomats, who feared he was seeking to forge an alliance with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran's firebrand president elected five months ago.
While Russia drew European Union condemnation for selling surface-to-air missiles to Iran, it has drawn the line at Mr Ahmadinejad resuming conversion of uranium at the Isfahan facility.
Following the meeting of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council yesterday Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, said he would not "rush" into any action and expressed hope that Iran would stop its nuclear research after realising the strength of world opinion.
"There are plenty of examples where a matter is referred to the Security Council and the Security Council takes action and that action is followed without sanction," he said at a conference in London.
He said he was also encouraged by Iran's threat to withhold gas from world markets if such action was taken.
"The fact that Iran is so concerned not to see it referred to the Security Council underlines the strength of the UN," he said.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) - the UN's nuclear watchdog - was last night preparing a draft document saying it can make no more progress amid Iran's intransigence and asks the UN Security Council to take a decision.
Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the IAEA, said in a magazine interview that Iran could acquire a nuclear weapon later this year.
"If they have the nuclear material and they have a parallel weaponisation programme along the way, they are really not very far - a few months - from a weapon," he told Newsweek.
"If they have the nuclear material and they have a parallel weaponisation programme along the way, they are really not very far - a few months - from a weapon," he told Newsweek.
We can't trust the security of 140,000 American Troops in Iraq to Mr. Putin's Russia. Iran may be months away from developing, but they may be days away from BUYING a NUKE.
AND that first one is destined for the Green Zone.
Time is not on our side.
Hit Iran NOW.
Open the spigot on the strategic reserve, and blockade Iran's ports, now.
Unrestricted submarine warfare
well which is it,
so far Israel 4mo or March is nuke time for Iran
this guy says months
usa says 2009
wtf is this so hard to figure out
my 2c is that Iranians just cant decide if to paint the rocket green or camo
I had fools telling me this evening that Iran just wants nukes for protection and won't use them. And these were Republicans!
With Sharon in a Coma, who knows?
But think about it. If Bill Clinton or John Kerry or Al Gore were in power right now, the USA would be quaking in our boots and wondering how to appease Iran and to appease their masters in Russia. Putin was making a bet that he could stir up a little (or a lot) of chaos in the Middle East with very little risk. Now with America's strong response in Iraq, there is ample precedent for direct action by the US or by Israel, or both, against Iran before this threat becomes operational.
Should that happen, Russia will be in a bind, either having to defend Iran (WW3), or admitting that they've been caught with their hand in the cookie jar--and looking weaker, and more foolish, than ever.
bump for later
Mohamed ElBaradei,=Nobel Prize Winner?
No way man, c.n.n. says Iran won't have nukes for three more years. Months? Just G.W. Bush trying to attack another defenseless country to steal their oil.
Trying to keep another soverign nation down.
Israel and the U.S. had better do something and soon or face a certain future without Israel.
bump
One thing I don't understand...Iran has limitless resources, so why the big deal about them trying to build something they can simply buy?
I think Iran is within 3 to 6 months of nuclear weapons capability. We have to ask ourselves: why does a nation surrounded on all sides by fellow Arab nations need a nuclear program. The answer: Israel...the only reason for them to have a nuclear weapon is to use it against Israel.
I urge you to join the discussion at:
http://www.iranbombing.com
Don't you think that iranbombing.com is undermined somewhat as serious analysis but not even being aware of something as basic the ethnicity of our adversary? IE Iranians are Persians not Arabs...!
That's a crock of cr*p!
I refer you to the information in Post 18 and would just add that many Sunni Arab nations in the region view Shia Persian Iran as a threat. An Iranian nuke would seriously rattle Saudi Arabia and Egypt and encourage them to start their own nuclear weapons programs - another compelling reason why Iran should not get the Bomb.
Maybe you need to amend the intro to your website, and moderate the boards so that they're not full of ads.
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