US changes policy, willing to talk to Iran
Iran-USA, Politics, 5/31/2006

After years of saying that it would not talk to Iran directly on the nuclear issue, the US reversed course and said today that it would hold such talks.

Rice said today "we have many issues of concern with Iran that do not relate to the nuclear issue, and the security issues that we're concerned about are Iranian behavior in Iraq that endangers both the Iraqi people and our own forces; the terrorism that Iran continues to support in places like the Palestinian territories and indeed in Lebanon. Those are the security issues that are of concern to us and so, as I said some time ago, we have not been asked about security assurances and I don't expect that we will be."

Rice added "Now, as to the question nonetheless of how we brought this all together, we've obviously had extensive discussions with all of our partners who have been trying to find a resolution of this nuclear issue. And we have made clear that we believe that the offer to join the EU-3 talks should Iran verifiably suspend all of its enrichment-related activities, that that offer gives the negotiating track new energy. We want this to work on the negotiating track. The President has made that very clear. "

Rice said "The vital interests of the United States, of our friends and allies in the region, and of the entire international community are at risk, and the United States will act accordingly to protect those common interests."

Rice said "The positive and constructive choice is for the Iranian regime to alter its present course and cooperate in resolving the nuclear issue, beginning by immediately resuming suspension of all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, as well as full cooperation with the IAEA and returning to implementation of the Additional Protocol which would provide greater access for the IAEA. This path would lead to the real benefit and longer-term security of the Iranian people, the region, and the world as a whole."

The US is making great effort to stop Iran from developing nuclear civil industrial capabilities, as long as there is the potential that Iran can use those capabilities for military purposes, the US had declared as the goal of its policy in this regard. Iran rejects such US allegations asserting it has full rights to develop civil nuclear technology.

Rice is to be in Vienna for tomorrow's talks held by the UN Security Council permanent members, where the US and Europe, are the main drivers trying to force Iran to relinquish its rights under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Russia and China agree with Iran that nuclear weapons should not be developed.

Yesterday, the US Department Of State spokesman Sean McCormack described the US approach saying that "You need the two sides there. You need the pathway that leads to negotiation, to compromise, to bringing Iran back into the mainstream on the nuclear issue; and then the other pathway, which is further isolation, the potential of sanctions and other measures by the international community. So, by definition, we wouldn't split those two things apart. And that's what everybody is working on now. I don't think you have anybody now who isn't constructively engaged and working on both sides of that package."

The US had tried to convince Russia to force Iran to suspend making its own fuel, and have instead the Russians make it for Iran. Iran's Rapporteur of Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Kazem Jalali today underlined Iran's right to access nuclear energy for peaceful purposes and said that Iran will stress its relevant right in holding talks with any country, adding that "The Russians are only involved in Iran's nuclear power plant project, which is currently underway. We need to continue exchange of views to complete this project."

Iran's foreign minister Manouchehr Mottaki yesterday said while referring to various inspections of the UN nuclear watchdog's experts on Iran's nuclear sites and facilities, that "all these measures have been accepted voluntarily by Tehran and no violation of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) has been found by IAEA inspectors."

He said that the US president's act of accusing Iran of trying to produce nuclear weapons was a means of winning more votes for the November elections. "These (accusations) are nothing but a big lie as Iran by all means has been or will be pursuing a program for nuclear energy development," Mottaki stressed.

Stating that Tehran's nuclear programs were completely "clear" and "transparent," he said the fact that President Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad invited foreign private and public companies to participate in Iran's nuclear programs was another clear indication of the transparency of Tehran's nuclear activities.

Mottaki reiterated that Iran was ready to continue negotiations to resolve the nuclear dispute without pre-conditions.

However, the US continues to place conditions and insists that Iran must stop making its own nuclear fuel. Iran has flatly rejected such conditions for talks, and said its decision to make its own fuel on its own territories is irreversible and would continue.

The US and Europe were seen as having forced the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) board to ask Iran to suspend uranium enrichment as a "confidence building measure," even when the technical side of this agency saw no violation of Iran to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Iran has said the IAEA board decision was "political" and it would not abide by such a decision, since it had nothing to do with the merit of the case.

The US efforts are intended to deprive Iran of its rights of making its own fuel, and developing advanced internal technical skills and industrial capabilities. Today, US Secretary Of State Condoleeza Rice formally proposed to Iran to suspend making nuclear fuel, and that the US, along with the Europeans, would be willing to hold direct talks with Iran on this issue. This comes following growing internal US calls for the US government to hold direct talks with Iran, amid what was seen as a failed US efforts to force Iran, using military and political and financial threats, from making its own nuclear fuel. Rice said today that Iran needs to "fully and verifiably suspend(s) its enrichment and reprocessing activities," a proposition that is rejected by Iran.

The US ambassador to the UN, John Bolton, told Fox TV today that President Bush is a man that keeps his word when Bush said before that Iran would be prevented from having nuclear capabilities.

While some are calling for positive dialog with Iran, some see the US official request for talks with Iran as a shrewd move by those in the US opposed to talks with Iran, in that, by offering Iran a package that is not acceptable to Iran, the US can claim that it is making a positive effort to resolve this issue, and that the US now should be supported in its efforts at the UN Security Council to strip Iran from its rights.

Previous Stories:
  Iran will not accept limited uranium enrichment   (5/30/2006)
  Bush administration debates talking to Iran   (5/27/2006)
  Ahmadi-Nejad: Iran to respond harshly to mere ideas of aggression   (5/24/2006)
  US military and financial pressure on Iran   (5/22/2006)

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