Iran President: Lebanon Crisis forces Re-Evaluation of Nuke Plan

Dow Jones Newswire via Easybourse ^ | July 30, 2006

[spyone]

TEHRAN (AP)--Iran's president on Sunday said the crisis in Lebanon has forced Tehran to re-evaluate a Western nuclear incentives package, but his country still plans to respond to the offer next month. "Events in Lebanon affected our evaluations about...(the) package of incentives. We should review it carefully. I have asked my colleagues to review it more carefully," President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said during a news conference. Earlier Sunday, Iran's foreign ministry warned that Tehran would abandon the package if the U.N. Security Council approves a resolution against Iran on Monday. "If any resolution is issued against Iran tomorrow, the package would be left off the agenda by Iran," Hamid Reza Asefi told reporters. "We will definitely revise our nuclear policy." Asefi's comments were the first official Iranian response to a draft resolution giving it until the end of August to suspend uranium enrichment or face the threat of international sanctions. The draft was formally circulated to the full 15-member U.N. Security Council late Friday and observers said it would likely be adopted in the next week. Asefi referred to the ongoing Israeli-Hezbollah war and said that any Security Council action against Iran "will confront the region with more tension," he said. In a commentary Sunday, state-run radio called on Europe to exercise restraint. "Under the international regulations, Iran has the right of achieving peaceful nuclear technology," the broadcast said.

[lawdog]

Love your photo but the truth does hurt!

[italianquaker]

This is what is called the old dopefiend move, start the war and then say because of it things have changed bla bla bla

[Sawdring]

Venezuela, Iran, North Korea, Syria, China, Russia and Belarus are playing stuttering George like a fiddle. Too bad Limbaugh doesn't come to the realization that Bush just doesn't have what it takes to be President of the United States. He cannot speak English and either will not or cannot defend his own policies. I feel sorry for Blair as he tries to prop up this President to the detriment of his own position in Britain. We should have total diplomatic support from most of Europe on the Iranian question because who in Europe wants the Iranians to have the bomb and the means to deliver it? Good God, I have been waiting for Bush to lay out to the American people the danger Iran poses. He has the Bully Pulpit, but he is unable to use due to his horrible speaking ability.

[ARealMothersSonForever]

My family has served the United States of America and Texas honorably for over one hundred years. My father served three tours in Viet Nam, two uncles in the UN screw-up of Korea, and my grandfather served in north Africa and Italy. I have attended eight funerals of friends and family that fell for our great country, including my brother. I refuse to allow anyone with an allegiance to ANY foreign country to demand US intervention. The USA is worth fighting and dying for. Every other p!ssant country in the world is not worth squat. Your mileage may vary.

[CedarDave]

According to Tom Friedman on this mornings Meet the Press, it's all the fault of Bush, Cheney and Rice. If only Bush would export optimism instead of dark-side fear, if only he would talk more instead of threatening and using violence...

You get the idea...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1674572/posts?page=459#459

[Theo]

We're not in a war against one country. We are in a war against Islamic Fascism.

And in this case, Israel is on "our" side.

Together *with* Israel we will fight this evil. While "Israel" may not be worth dying for, civilization is worth dying for if anything is worth dying for. We can't stay out of this fight.

[funkywbr]

Ya think Iran has stopped development of their Nukes during all this DIPLOMACY???

LOL!~}

[Mo1]

I still wouldn't trust them

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

[The package includes economic incentives and a provision for the U.S. to offer Iran some nuclear technology, lift some sanctions and join direct negotiations.]

[ARealMothersSonForever]

We can't stay out of this fight.

I agree. Let us get a congressional declaration of war.

[Mr. Brightside]

Thanks for your "Already Posted" comment, but many of us missed that story and we thank this poster for putting up this story.

In fact, over 1500 people have read spyone's story.

But only 49 people saw the story on your link.

That should tell you something.

[Theo]

That would be good. Definitely.

[spyone]

Actually, Michiganer and Snowsislander where extremely helpful in me reposting this after the first one was deleted due to copyright issues...they weren't cutting my grass, but rather good freeper friends, and I appreciate it.

[Stultis]

But But But But...Bush said Iran wouldn't be allowed to wait until August to respond.

What it means is that the United States will go ahead in introducing a U.N. Security Council Resolution that will call for sanctions to be put on Iran if they don't suspend uranium enrichment by the end of August.

The Iranians had the option, potentially, of accepting the package by now and avoiding the sanctions resolution, or of at least responding to the proposal in a timely fashion and thereby delaying the resolution.

So, what's happened, is that be delaying their response, the Iranians will ensure (Russian and China are reportedly finally on board) that the sanctions resolution will go on the books, and that the sanctions will actually be applied (hopefully not too watered down to appease Russia and China) unless they stand down on the nukes.

[Marine_Uncle]

The Iranian ruling Mullahs are scared all is going wrong dispite their attempts at taking attention away from them with the Israeli-Hisbollah conflict.
Only the western nations including the USA can screw up and let them off the hook.
They can throw out any kind of crap they want, but the proof is they had for a long time mislead the international community in their efforts to master the full uranium fuel cycle. They continue like all good muslims to faint and lie to get off the hot seat.
The US had better continue to keep the pressure on the EU, Russians, and Chinese to follow through with any UN sanctions that may eventually come forth.
With the added warning, if Iran crosses a threshold limit that the west deems un-acceptable, that the US may just have to apply military intervention to show Iran they can be totally taken out strategically based on our set of rules and goals AND not theirs.
They know damn well we could take out every Iranian refinery if we wanted to leaving them with not a ounce of gasiline to run their economy, and it would have no effect on the world supply of oil or gas.
The above is just one example of what the US could do with little loss of brave Pilots and Aviators if push comes to shove. And Iran knows perfectly well what the deal is. They are not rabid stupid sheep herders.
At any rate. I do not have the time to go into long discourses as had been in the past at our great FR site. Gotta work long hours 7 days a week at this point.
I just wanted to make a point. I will of course attempt to respond to any that feel otherwise then what I state above, with the usual respectful dialogs we all should engage in.
PS. We understand the US could wipe them out either or by conventional or nuclear methods. That is a no brainer. I will not respond to frivolus comments. No disrespect meant, just a required management of time on my part.

[Chaguito]

The mark in every con game has a streak of dishonesty, trying to get something for nothing. Our State Department appears to be a mark.

[eeevil conservative]

I think they are going to announce that they ahve reconsidered....

and decided that Israel is a terrorist nation and a threat...therefore- their nuke programs are no longer for energy- but for weapons....

and what would the UN do?

Issue a memo?

Oh for PETE's SAKE!

is there anyone left in leadership with brains AND balls!?

[Eagle74]

I believe this would significantly improve our strategic position in the War on Terror.

We should destroy the Iranian oil industry. By Bombing all oil transportation facilities, pipelines, storage tanks, tanker trucks, refinery’s etc… we can cripple the funding of numerous terrorist organizations, Hezbollah, Hama’s, Sadr’s militia, Syria, as well as make it more difficult for Iran to buy missiles and such from North Korea, China, and Russia.
It would remove Iran’s threat that if we attack they will shut off the oil. Making the threat ridiculous and demonstrating that they are a single product state and without oil, and no other product that the world wants, they are nothing. Additionally, by declaring that we will destroy any reconstituting oil industry as long as the Mullacracy remains in charge, we can focus the Iranian’s blame for the situation, on the Theocracy and their support of Terrorism.
This will also bring home to all the other oil producing countries like Venezuela, Libya, Saudi Arabia, the Gulf States, etc… that they are very vulnerable to the same tactic.
In addition, this will gain us time for the Iraqi’s to stand on their own, and free up troops we would need if we have to go into Iran, North Korea or somewhere else.
Sure the price of gas will rise, but this will also demonstrate to the world that the USA is not in Iraq for the Oil, and the onus can be shifted on to the Democrats for not allowing more domestic production.
“It’s not the control of the spice but the power to destroy the spice that is the real power.”
It has recently been said that the nuclear production facilities in Iran are so deep underground that we can’t reach them with conventional weapons. Perhaps so, but maybe we can starve those facilities of funds. Nuclear weapons are terribly expensive to build, and if Iran now needs all its money to repair vital life supporting infrastructure, it may have to slow or stop its attempt to build an atomic bomb.
Finally, Iran is a state sponsor of Terrorists, it must be punished, and it must be seen to be punished. Iran’s continued sponsorship of terror is a slap in America’s and President Bush’s face, and it must be answered.