"I- I have rights. Why can't you people just leave me alone? "
Posted on 08/15/2006 1:17:10 PM PDT by Flavius
TEHRAN: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Tuesday Iran would not yield to Western pressure to give up its home-grown nuclear technology.
His comments came days before an August 22 deadline Iran set itself to respond to a demand by six world powers that Tehran give up uranium enrichment in return for economic and other incentives. Iran has so far shown no signs it will accept.
"Today, we are fully mastering the nuclear fuel cycle for our peaceful atomic activities. It is a native technology. . . No one can take it away from us," Ahmadinejad said in a televised speech to a rally in the northwestern city of Ardebil.
The United States, China, Russia, Britain, France and Germany proposed in June to give Iran trade and technical incentives if Tehran halted all enrichment-related activities.
Iran said it would reply by August 22. But this was deemed too long and Iran's case was sent back to the UN Security Council, which passed a resolution demanding Tehran halt the sensitive atomic work by August 31 or face possible sanctions.
"The Iranian nation will not yield to pressure but is ready to resolve the nuclear issue through talks," Ahmadinejad said.
Western diplomats have said they are ready to talk but only after Iran meets the key demand of stopping enrichment, a process which can be used to make fuel for nuclear power stations or material for atomic bombs. Advertisement Advertisement
Under Iran's system of clerical rule, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has the last say on state matters not the president. Khamenei has also previously said Iran would not yield to pressure.
A senior Vienna-based diplomat familiar with operations of the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said in Iran he did not expect Iran to agree to stop enrichment by the August 31 deadline.
"The next IAEA report (to the Security Council) is unlikely to contain any surprises. The central question for the report will be whether Iran will have stopped enrichment-related work or not by August 31, and I suspect we already know the answer to that," he said.
"No one really believes Iran will give in to this deadline," he added.
The world's fourth largest oil exporter insists its nuclear work is purely civilian, but Western nations say the programme is a smokescreen for producing atomic weapons.
Iranian officials often say the country could weather sanctions and argue such measures would hurt the West more than Tehran by lifting already high oil prices to levels that would be unmanageable for industrialised economies.
Analysts and diplomats point out Iran's economy would be highly vulnerable to sanctions on gasoline imports, European financing and industrial components.
The Soviets, er, excuse me, the Russians had offered to take control of the fuels and do the processing in Russia as well as dispose of the spent fuel rods. Iran turned down that offer. What are we supposed to think? Peaceful purposes my arse!..........
Was he hoping the London Airport plot would succeed and make a difference?
Kinda hope that sort of thing happens to Iran.
duh
Like so many other words in the English language, the word "right" has been so misused by those with hidden agendas that it has all but lost meaning.
In THIS case they are a bit different from the "Miranda Rights" :
"You have the right to wipe Israel off the map,
you have the right to destroy Israel in 'one big firestorm'" etc.
Home Grown = Pakistan, North Korea, etc.
I believe if Iran gets an atomic bomb or two, they will immediaely use it on Israel as soon as they can to avoid the slip between cup and lip.
I am sure they would like to hit us too, but I don't think they will take the chance on continuing to make more atomic bombs, and get hit by Israel or us before they use them.
Better for Muslims to die in a retaliatory attack than in a pre-emptive strike where the Infidels excape.- Tom
I'm getting tired of this thing that Iran seems to be behind. I know how this will sound and I mean it. Bring the FIGHT on. Don't thnk I'll hide in my basement either, I'll be in the FIGHT.
Better for Muslims to die in a retaliatory attack than in a pre-emptive strike where the Infidels excape
Iran shold be allowed to have Nukes.
The US should deliver them free of charge to:
All major Military post
MASHHAD
About a dozen should give them the martyrdom they seek
With that lunatic in power in Tehran, I expect the same thing. I imagine that the Israelis are taking the date August 22 very seriously, and wouldn't be at all surprised to see them hit Iran on the 21st.
We aren't going to strike Iran first.
Remember the saying: "Once a cat sits on a hot stove lid, the cat will never do it again-for that matter the cat will never sit on a cold stove lid.
We have already sat on the hot stove lid in Iraq where the WMDS we went there to get didn't materialize enough to make our case for the invasion on those grounds alone.
We are not going to strike Iran until we know for certain that they have nukes and will use them.
We will know this for sure when Iran tries to obliterate Israel with nukes. - tom
Logically speaking, he has no reason to comply. We basically let you do anything you want, once you have the nuke. India, Pakistan get coddled by us now. North Korea is treated with kid gloves now. Saddam wanted nukes, didn't have them yet, and he got smacked down. Iran will get smacked down too if they don't build nukes first. That is why we must take them out now. We will not engage a nuclear power in a hot war in the current world climate. It's reality.
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