Iran president to snub UN

[Psycho4Bud]

IRAN has defied a United Nations demand to suspend its uranium-enrichment program and failed to fully co-operate with international inspectors.

The snub has dramatically raised the stakes in the crisis over President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's alleged nuclear weapons ambitions.

"The Islamic republic of Iran has the capacity to quickly become a world superpower," the firebrand leader said yesterday.

"If we believe in ourselves . . . no other power can be compared to us.

"We do not need weapons or military expeditions, because our position in the world is rising and Iran's words have now influenced all the world's equations."
http://www.theadvertiser.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,18972857%255E912,00.html

Why Iran??? This pretty much explains why.

[Gumby]

holster your gun... they still have plenty of time to talk about a bomb, and aren't they allowed to research for power?

29/04/2006 - 12:15:06 PM

Iran moves to prevent sanctions by allowing nuclear inspections

Iran is ready for a conditional return to intrusive inspections of its nuclear programme, but uranium enrichment will continue, a senior official said today.

The move was seen as apparent attempt by the Tehran government to prevent its nuclear programme from coming to a sanctions vote in the United Nations Security Council.

â??If the issue is returned to the International Atomic Energy Agency, we will be ready to allow intrusive inspections,â?� Mohammed Saeedi, Iranâ??s deputy nuclear chief, told state-run television.

Mohamed ElBaradei, the IAEA chief, confirmed in a report on Friday that Iran has successfully produced enriched uranium and has defied a UN Security Council deadline to halt all activities related to uranium enrichment.

The IAEA report brought swift reactions from nations concerned with Iranâ??s nuclear development.

US President George Bush said the world was concerned about Iranâ??s â??desire to have not only a nuclear weapon but the capacity to make a nuclear weaponâ?�.

Bush added he was not discouraged by Iranâ??s vow to defy world pressure, saying: â??I think the diplomatic options are just beginning.â?�

US Ambassador John Bolton took a tough line, saying: â??The IAEA report shows that Iran has accelerated its efforts to acquire nuclear weapons although, of course, the report doesnâ??t make any conclusions in that regard.â?�

â??Weâ??re ready to proceed; weâ??re ready to move expeditiously,â?� Bolton said. â??And what comes after that is largely in Iraqâ??s hands. â?¦ They have to comply or the Security Council is free to take other steps.â?�

ElBaradeiâ??s report may spark a divisive debate in the Security Council when foreign ministers of its five permanent members plus Germany meet at UN headquarters in New York on May 9 to discuss the next step.

France and Britain have joined the US in supporting strong action against Iran, while Russia and China want the IAEA to take the lead in finding a diplomatic solution.

Russiaâ??s deputy UN ambassador Konstantin Dolgov told the Itar-Tass news agency: â??Sanctions are not the way of resolving the Iranian problem, at least at the current stage, bearing in mind the information available.â?�

Iran warned that it â??does not respond well to pressureâ?�.

Iranian ambassador to the United Nations Javid Zarif said his country was seeking to resolve the crisis over its nuclear programme.

â??There are a multitude of possibilities for reaching a solution, if we start from the basic assumption that Iran has the right (to nuclear power) â?¦ and Iran should not develop nuclear weapons,â?� Zarif told the BBC.


Iran barred intrusive inspections of its nuclear facilities in February after it was referred to the UN Security Council over its nuclear activities that several Western countries suspect are aimed at producing nuclear warheads.

Tehran denies the accusations, saying its programme is only for peaceful purposes.

Saeedi said Iran was also ready to address the concerns of the US and its allies over Iranâ??s nuclear programme in negotiations.

â??What is up for negotiation is to remove concerns of probably few countries in negotiations,â?� Saeedi told Iranian television.

Iran was installing two more 164-centrifuge cascades at its uranium enrichment plant in Natanz, central Iran, Saeedi said.

â??(Uranium enrichment in) Natanz is continuing its work well â?¦ two other cascades (of 164-machine centrifuges) are being installed,â?� he said.

Iran successfully enriched uranium for the first time earlier this month using 164 centrifuges, a significant step toward large-scale production of a material that can be used to fuel nuclear reactors or to build atomic bombs.

The Iranian nuclear negotiator said his country had told the IAEA in a letter on Thursday that it was ready to answer outstanding questions if its dossier was returned to the agency for investigation.

â??The letter could be a turning point for those who want to resolve the issue through diplomatic means,â?� he said.

Saeedi said ElBaradeiâ??s report â??was not totally satisfactoryâ?� but it showed that IAEA, not Security Council, was competent to probe Iranâ??s nuclear activities.

â??It was not totally satisfactory. It could have been drawn up better â?¦ it shows that the agency still has the necessary capacity to investigate Iranâ??s nuclear issueâ?� he said.

ElBaradeiâ??s report gives formal notice that Iran failed to abide by a March 29 Security Council demand that it halt all activities related to uranium enrichment. Accordingly, it opens the way for further council steps, including imposing sanctions or authorising military action if Iran continues to defy the international community.

Top Iranian officials, including President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, have repeatedly vowed that Iran will not to halt enrichment activities.

Saeedi said Iran has already answered the IAEAâ??s main questions, including those about the discovery of traces of weapons-grade enriched uranium. Only a â??few questionsâ?� remained to be answered, he said.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/breaking/story.asp?j=77453034&p=77453336&n=77453414

[Psycho4Bud]

holster your gun... they still have plenty of time to talk about a bomb, and aren't they allowed to research for power?

"The Islamic republic of Iran has the capacity to quickly become a world superpower," the firebrand leader said yesterday.

Do you really think that they just want to research for power? When the President of Iran makes comments like "become a world superpower", I don't believe he's talking about kilowatt hours.

Have a good one!:thumbsup:

[Gumby]

Yes, I think by superpower he means like us... the nations that are 'superpowers' have neuclear power... that's why they are superpower... they just want to be equal. I know his ratings are low and I think he's using it to his advantage much like Bush used his 'war on terror'... he's just trying to get people to support him before the youth take over.... I don't think he's trying to build a bomb, he's not crazy, I just think he's tyring to get his country to step up a level in the rankings of countries... and by creating neuclear power he can do that... and if people in Iran believe in him and that thier counrty will move to the level of neuclear counrty, maybe he'll be able to stay in power longer... that's when he MIGHT try to build a bomb... but wait, give him time... they aren't close to a bomb and if they are we aren't a threat... all I'm saying is let's not talk about Iran like we did Iraq, cause we know how that war is going and I cannot imagine Iran going any better