Posted on 05/23/2006 7:47:10 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
Opposition by US "hawks" led by Dick Cheney, the vice-president, is complicating efforts by the main European powers to put together a package of incentives aimed at persuading Iran to suspend its nuclear fuel cycle programme, according to diplomats and analysts in Washington.
London is today hosting political directors of the EU3 of France, Germany and the UK, together with China, Russia and the US to look at the twin tools of incentives and sanctions.
Condoleezza Rice, US secretary of state, was said by one diplomat to have "gone out on a limb" in an attempt to back the EU3's package of incentives but was facing resistance from Mr Cheney who is playing a more visible role in US foreign policy. Another diplomat said US internal divisions were holding up an agreement with the Europeans. The political directors held a preliminary meeting in London yesterday.
Some European diplomats believe that Washington will back the package - which includes guarantees for the construction of light water reactors in Iran, promises of nuclear fuel and a new regional security forum - if Moscow endorsed a tough chapter seven United Nations Security Council resolution that would require Iran to suspend uranium enrichment.
"The idea is that something moves if everything moves," said one EU diplomat. "The positive elements of the package have to move at the same time as Security Council action."
US officials would not comment on Washington's internal debate. Ms Rice has denied reports that the EU3 asked the US to provide security guarantees to Iran. Accusing Iran of being the "central banker of terrorism", she made clear that such assurances were "not on the table".
The current version of the package steers clear of formal security guarantees. It would, however, set up a new "regional security mechanism", including Iran and other Gulf countries, to reassure the Iranian government that its neighbours did not seek its overthrow.
Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad, has already rejected the EU's advances, even before an offer has been made.
Diplomats are doubtful Iran will accept a deal that does not allow it to continue at least small-scale uranium enrichment. The US and EU3 have ruled that out. But the package envisages participating governments providing guarantees for an international consortium of companies to build light water reactors in Iran.
Mr Cheney is said to oppose the notion of "rewarding bad behaviour" following Iran's alleged breaches of its nuclear safeguards commitments. The "hawks" - who include John Bolton, the US envoy to the UN, and Bob Joseph, a senior arms control official - fear a repeat of a similar agreement reached with North Korea in 1994 which did not stop the communist regime from pursuing a secret weapons programme.
Ministers are still bruised from angry exchanges between Ms Rice and Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov two weeks ago.
Wouldn't want Iran to get a spanking would we? After all, we all know how *great* a job the UN did in dissuading Saddam..
Sounds promising. I guess, if we took a hardline, we'd be making negotiations difficult. That is, if negotiations were possible. Which they aren't.
It will be a cold, cold day in Hell before the EU does any constructive thing regarding Iran.
The only thing we can hope for is that they just don't decide to GIVE Iran their OWN nuclear weapons just to save them time and money, and not inconvenience their poor muslim selves.
This should have been written as, "Opposition by US "hawks" led by Dick Cheney, the vice-president, is complicating efforts by the main European powers to capitulate to Iran's ruling Mullahs"
So...uh...what is it exactly that the "hawks" are obstructing? This story makes no GD sense at all.
Yeah, it's all my fault. Me and George Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and Halliburton.
If it wasn't for us, the world would be just peachy keen and Iran would be all nice to everyone and wouldn't hate anyone or try and kill them. They're just misunderstood. And maybe way misunderestimated.
British journalists (like those with the Financial Times) are being dishonest about "US internal divisions."
Fixed.
Reminds me of when that warmonger Churchill was throwing cogs in the European peace plan to give Hitler incentives (the Rhineland, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Jews).
I wonder if the FT remembers what the incentives Carter offered North Korea accomplished?
Doc
Exactly! Perhaps we should give Iran the Sudetenland. Then, they'll leave us alone.
But then what can you expect from a story written by people with names like Guy Dinmore and Daniel Dombey...
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