With military threats failing against Iran's nuclear activities, US tries diplomacy
Iran-USA, Politics, 3/12/2005

In order to support the diplomatic efforts of the European Union 3 (EU-3) with Iran, the United States will drop its objection to Iran's application to join the World Trade Organization "and will consider, on a case-by-case basis, the licensing of spare-parts for Iranian civilian aircraft, in particular from the EU to Iran," says U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

"We share the desire of European Governments to secure Iran's adherence to its obligations through peaceful and diplomatic means," Rice said March 11.

She added that Iran must live up to its international commitments not to develop nuclear weapons and must also "cease its support for those groups who use violence to oppose Middle East peace."

Meantime, the Bush administration's decision not to oppose Iran's application to join the World Trade Organization and to allow the transfer of spare aircraft parts is designed to further European negotiations with Iran aimed at convincing it to permanently give up its nuclear enrichment and reprocessing activities, according to a senior Bush administration official.

Speaking to reporters in a background briefing March 11, the official described the measures as "chips" that the United Kingdom, France and Germany, collectively known as the EU-3, could play to the Iranians.

"It's very much in the framework of the President's policy of supporting the Europeans in their negotiations with Iran," the official said.

The official said President Bush made the decision after being assured on his February 21-24 trip that the EU-3 share the U.S. desire to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, as well as a strategic agenda opposing Iran's support of terrorism and its efforts to block Middle East peace efforts, and supportive ofÊ increased human rights in Iran.

Media reports said the EU-3 nations announced March 11 that if Iran resumes uranium enrichment or breaches nuclear commitments, they would support referring Iran to the U.N. Security Council, an important precondition of administration support of the talks.

The official indicated that removing objections to these actions did not constitute an increased American presence in the talks themselves.Ê "This is not us becoming party to the negotiations.Ê It is not us dealing directly with the Iranians," he said.

The world has "enormous grounds for suspicion" of Iran's nuclear program, the official said, and indicated that Iran's record of deception to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) necessitated a "permanent guarantee" that Iran would not enrich or reprocess nuclear material.

So long as the current suspension on enrichment and reprocessing remains in place and Iran meets its IAEA obligations, the talks will go forward, the official noted.Ê He explained, "[t]he next move is really on the Iranians to indicate whether they are prepared to move to a permanent cessation rather than just a temporary suspension."

The official said there was no timetable for talks, but he said the quarterly meeting of the IAEA board of governors in June will provide an opportunity to reassess Iran's compliance to its obligations.

He stated that any failure to maintain the current suspension or meet IAEA requirements would allow the EU-3 and the United States to raise the issue with the U.N. Security Council, where he said there was a "pretty good nucleus with which to work."

The senior official also made clear that this announcement would not involve the direct sale of U.S. aircraft parts to Iran and was designed to respect the current U.S. sanctions in place regarding Iran.

Worth noting that the US had in the past refused to remove the option of military attacks against Iran, an option some in the US saw as impractical for political and military reasons with the Iranian nuclear facilities being widespread and located in deep underground. Iran has inssisted that it has full legal rights to its nuclear peacefull activities, and that even the halt of Uranium enrichment program, is only being halted temporarily. Having failed with its threats, the US now seems focused on forcing Iran to keep this halt to the Uranium enrichment program. Iran said that it is not afraid of US or Europe referring it to the Security Council for sanctions.

Previous Stories:
  Iran: we will not halt our nuclear development programs   (3/9/2005)
  Iran strong warning to the US against attacking it   (2/11/2005)
  Iran launches medium-range missile test   (7/23/1998)

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