Posted on 05/21/2006 5:18:31 PM PDT by Aussie Dasher
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said today the United States is not offering security guarantees to Iran in a bid to end the dispute over its nuclear program.
"Security assurances are not on the table," Ms Rice told the Fox News Sunday television program.
"It's obvious that in addition to the nuclear issue, we have other issues with Iran. We have a state in Iran that is devoted to the destruction of Israel. We have a state in Iran that meddles in the peace process" in the Middle East.
Media reports have said that Britain, France and Germany, which are leading international talks with Iran, had asked Washington to provide guarantees that no threat would be made to the Iranian government.
But Ms Rice strongly denied that the European trio had asked for such guarantees.
"First of all, let me just set the record straight. We haven't been asked to provide security assurances to Iran.
"What we're talking about is a package that will make clear to Iran that there are choices to be made, either that there will be sanctions and actions taken against Iran by the international community, or there's a way for them to meet their civil nuclear concerns."
She said: "You can't take this question out of the context of what Iran is doing in the international system. Iran is a troublemaker in the international system, a central banker of terrorism. Security assurances are not on the table."
Britain, France and Germany are preparing a package of trade, technology and security benefits if Tehran stops enriching uranium, a process which creates fuel for power plants but can also form the core of a nuclear bomb.
A draft proposal by the trio said world powers should support Iran's building of light water reactors for power generation and should also set up a nuclear fuel bank that would guarantee access to reactor fuel but not the sensitive fuel cycle technology.
But Iran vowed again today it will not suspend uranium enrichment.
The United States has been pressing for a UN Security Council resolution under Chapter 7 of the UN charter, which would allow for sanctions, and could eventually permit military action.
"We would like to show Iran's government and its people that it is possible to have a way out of this crisis, a way out that preserves Iran's ability to have civil nuclear power," said Ms Rice.
She said Washington and its European allies wanted "to show them (Iran) a path into the international community of states and back into good standing".
"If they won't take it, then we'll have to take the other course."
Well, I say that anyone who says that Iran's ultimate goal is to develop electrical capacity and not nuke's is either living in denial, stupid, or is Iranian. However, being that the Euro's and the UN idiots love to beat up the U.S. on virtually any problem that we take the lead to resolve, I say that we just sit back for awhile and let these so called elite, sophisticated, intellectuals take the lead on this one. After all, we just have to look at a map to see who is in most immediate jeopardy. Israel of course is Iran's prime target and it's my belief that if the U.S. doesn't take care of business then they will long before Iran has the ability to launch a strike. However, if by some remote chance Iran should be able to lob a nuke into Tel Aviv, one doesn't have to be even European to deduce that the Israelis will immediately respond by turning Iran into a glass plate. Then, let's take a look at prevailing winds and such - it's across Europe of course, how about that for justice served?
We should Guarantee that they will be the Worlds largest supplier of glass for the next 500 years if they think that they can threaten to wipe out any Country.
TT
The only guarantee we should offer them is that we will kick their a$$ if they don't play ball.
"Britain,France,and Germany are preparing a package of trade,technology,and security benefits..."Those three in particular should know that appeasement does not work.Regeimes like Iran will simply interpet that as weekness.
I may have read the article.Doesn't it state that the agreement(if approved)would give Tehran unlimited access to fuel rods?
You guys are all so negative. This could mean "Peace in our time". LOL
LOL,BTW,who said "Those who forget the mistakes of the past are condemned to repeat them."?
George Santayana: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
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