Regards, Ivan
Posted on 05/10/2006 1:27:14 AM PDT by MadIvan
The major United Nations powers last night agreed to offer Iran a stark choice of benefits or sanctions in the latest international gambit to persuade Teheran to abandon its nuclear ambitions.
The initiative followed the failure of talks between the foreign ministers of Russia, China, France, Britain, America and Germany to resolve the deadlock on how to confront Iran.
The "carrot or stick" plan came as US officials conceded that their hopes of pushing through this week a UN resolution mandating Iran's suspension of its nuclear enrichment programme were over.
"I think the prospects for an agreement this week are not substantially good,' said a senior US official after the end of the late-night talks. "Clearly we had a way to go.'
Diplomats from Britain, France and Germany, the EU powers who have been spearheading negotiations with Iran, will now draw up a list of possible benefits and sanctions, a European official said.
The latest discussions came as details emerged of the 18-page letter sent by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran to President George W Bush.
This was hailed in Iran as the first direct communication between leaders of the two countries since the overthrow of the Shah in 1979 and as a way to resolve the crisis.
But American officials dismissed it as a diversionary tactic after it emerged that it was a rambling treatise which focused on America's record and had no suggestions for ending the dispute over Iran's nuclear programme.
"This letter isn't it," said Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state. "It isn't addressing the issues that we are dealing with in a concrete way."
The major obstacle to an agreement on a resolution was Moscow, as expected, diplomats said. Russia's foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, said that everyone was agreed that Iran should not have a nuclear weapon and that Moscow was keen to draw Iran into "fruitful" negotiations.
But Russia and China are against a resolution that would require Iran to halt its enrichment, arguing that could be the first step down the road to authorising military action - a point strongly denied by the European drafters of the resolution.
Regards, Ivan
Ping!
Looks like they're planning another oil for food personal enrichment scheme.
Whether they have a carrot or a stick, we have no problem helping them place it where the sun don't shine if they don't quit acting like little terrorist.
You got that right. There's TONS of money to be made (again) there.
Don't we?
Why couldn't it be an opening? Bush could quote the scriptures right back at Ahmajihading. With emphasis on Judgment Day.
We lose, Mullahs win.
Bush fails.
Grrrr
The United Nations is FREAKIN WORTHLESS.
I'm looking for either Russia or China(possibly both)... to openly state they will offer assistance to Iran... should the US and it's 'coalition-of-the-willing' decide to strike. That type of rhetoric would send whoever is with us running for the exits faster than you can say Munich.
This won't matter, since Iran wants a war and will not make concessions in any event.
Oh come on! This attitude is unjustified! Don't you know that there are some very important people involved in negotiations over this, and that if we just give them more TIME, they will come up with a solution that will convince Iran to give up on nuclear development? Sure, it may take 2-3 years for all the talking to produce an agreement with Iran, but shouldn't we be patient and give the diplomatic process time to work?
/sarcasm off
I think we're going to have to go it alone on this one. President Bush sees through all the BS and knows that time is of the essence in stopping Iran's "nucular" ambitions. President Bush should send Abominationajad a reply letter telling him that he has two options for his country - they can either be a peaceful ally to the US or they can have their economy transformed overnight into the world's largest supplier of glass products.
Hey why not? I mean it worked so well in North Korea.
No we do not. It is a matter of when, not if unless they quit the nuclear stuff without control.
Their wonderful obliteration of Israel talk doesn't help either IMO.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.