Leading article: The pitfalls of nuclear diplomacy
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Independent Minds
If you wanted to encourage Iran to pursue negotiations on the nuclear issue, the last thing you would do is to reveal publicly that they had talked face to face with the Israelis on the question. The Iranians deny it, of course, and the Israelis, while accepting it did happen, have been keen to play down its significance. Such meetings have happened before without fuss, they say.
True. But the occasion, at a session of the International Commission on Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament conference in Cairo last month, was certainly relevant. The fact that Iran was prepared to sit at the same table as its avowed enemy could bode well for the current talks between the International Atomic Energy Agency and Iran in Vienna.
So far the Vienna talks have taken place against a backdrop of suspicion and deadlines. The IAEA has put forward a draft agreement under which the Iranians would ship most of their enriched uranium to France and Russia for further processing before the fuel was returned for use in Iran's power plants. And it has given Iran until today to respond.
Whether Tehran will reply as quickly as this, or whether it will continue to procrastinate, is open to question. There are plenty who believe that Iran is determined to develop nuclear weaponry and that it is just using any talks to push back the threat of sanctions against it. But there are also indications that the Tehran regime conscious of the international pressure build-up on it, is genuinely interested in a deal that preserves its right of enrichment but guarantees that it doesn't use the output for weaponry.
With so much turmoil and uncertainty at home, Ayatollah Khamenei – who has always kept the issue under his own control and away from President Ahmadinejad – could well have concluded that he needs the nuclear issue off the table. For Iran the uncrossable line is its right to enrichment. But the agreement proposed by the IAEA would still allow this and give the West the assurances of use that it wants. The one certainty about Iran is that, whatever its intentions, it will play any negotiations to the very last minute. This has always been its tactic and it won't change that, whatever the threats and imposed deadlines.
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Comments
Despite the best efforts of extremists to seek a military solution, perhaps the lessons of Iraq and Afghanistan have been learnt and absorbed.
Minor sanctions remain in place, but Iran has agreed to hand over three quarters of its nuclear fuel for enrichment abroad, thus making the creation of a nuclear weapon impossible, i.e. Iran has disarmed itself!
What a wonderful example that proves war is not always the answer!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Mhsltf0
The Iranians have excellent relations with Russia, after all, Russia did build a nuclear power station in Iran and is also considering selling a missile system to Iran to defend itself.
Russia is also still unhappy with the role that Israel played in arming and training military forces in Georgia, prior to the Georgian attack that involved Russia.
Sarkozy has made several aggressive comments about Iran in the past, so it Iranian reservations about France are only natural.
GLENN BECK: Interview with Benjamin Netanyahu
You have got to read this. Just amazing it is. I can't believe there are people like this but unfortunately there are.
http://wp.me/p4271-1uP
http://tinyurl.com/yjvx34u
There facilities have had 25 surprise inspections and they are complying with inspectors.
Israel on the other hand has not, even though there have been numerous UN Resolutions requiring them too.
Israel is the problem not Iran.
Seems this hasn't been reported here either. Well not that I found anyway.
British UN nuclear expert may have been murdered, police say
http://wp.me/p4271-1vf
The two big dangers to the world are the USA and Israel, Iran is not in the running.
Instead of insulting Iran, why not tell us how the world´s largest concentration camp is being run by the Jewish State? (Just in case you never heard, it is Gaza and the Israeli guards should be arrested and put on trial.)