US sets nuclear deadline for Iran

[Anubis10012007]

This is the same stuff that the Bush administration did with Iraq. God help us.

Iran must decide between confrontation and co-operation in the dispute over its nuclear plans, the US has warned.

At talks in Geneva, envoys from the US, EU and UN asked Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment in return for a pledge not to introduce new sanctions.

Iran gave no guarantees it would halt its activities, so the diplomats gave Tehran two weeks to provide an answer.

The meeting was the first time US and Iranian officials have held face-to-face talks on the nuclear issue.

Senior US official William Burns was present at the Geneva talks - although he made no public comment.

Instead, state department spokesman Sean McCormack issued a strongly-worded statement in Washington.

"We hope the Iranian people understand that their leaders need to make a choice between co-operation, which would bring benefits to all, and confrontation, which can only lead to further isolation," he said.

'New opportunity'

Mr McCormack added that Mr Burns had delivered a "clear simple message" that Washington was "serious" about the incentives package but that it would only negotiate with Iran if it upheld its side of the deal.

Diplomats had hoped that Iran would respond to a so-called "freeze-for-freeze" offer, under which a freeze of Iran's uranium enrichment programme at its current levels would be matched by a Western pledge not to strengthen sanctions on Tehran.

"It was a constructive meeting, but still we didn't get the answer to our questions," EU envoy Javier Solana told reporters.

"We hope very much we get the answer and we hope it will be done in a couple of weeks," he said.

Mr Solana said he had agreed with Iran's chief negotiator, Saeed Jalili, to speak again either by telephone or personally in two weeks.

The BBC's Jon Leyne in Tehran says Iran is interested in the offer but it is unclear whether there are divisions in the leadership or the Iranians are playing for time.

Mr Jalili said he had put forward many positive ideas and he urged Western powers not turn away from negotiations.

"This package we have proposed contains a number of possibilities. In a nutshell, it is a new opportunity which should not be lost."

But doubt was cast over the value of the talks, after a member of the Iranian delegation said there was "no chance" of a freeze on the uranium-enrichment programme.

Iran says its nuclear facilities are designed to meet its energy needs, denying that it has a weapons programme.

But Tehran's continued activity is defying UN Security Council demands to halt enrichment.

Rising tensions

In addition to the EU, Iranian and US envoys, the talks in Geneva's city hall were attended by representatives from Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia.

The US and Iran have had no diplomatic relations since the 1979 Iranian Revolution and the taking of hostages at the US embassy in Tehran.

Formal contact between the two countries has been extremely limited, though last year they met at ambassadorial level to discuss security in Iraq.

The meeting came after weeks of rising tensions in the Middle East.

The Iranians test-fired missiles last week, and a series of threats and counter-threats between Iran and Israel has been watched nervously in the West.

BBC NEWS | Middle East | US sets nuclear deadline for Iran

Anubis10012007 Reviewed by Anubis10012007 on 07-20-2008. US sets nuclear deadline for Iran This is the same stuff that the Bush administration did with Iraq. God help us. Iran must decide between confrontation and co-operation in the dispute over its nuclear plans, the US has warned. At talks in Geneva, envoys from the US, EU and UN asked Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment in return for a pledge not to introduce new sanctions. Iran gave no guarantees it would halt its activities, so the diplomats gave Tehran two weeks to provide an answer. The meeting was the first Rating: 5

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

At talks in Geneva, envoys from the US, EU and UN asked Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment in return for a pledge not to introduce new sanctions.

What a warm and fuzzy euphamism for blackmail.

[Torog]

What a warm and fuzzy euphamism for blackmail.

Howdy Gandalf,

Speakin of blackmail,do ya reckon that if Iran does build some nukes,will they engage in nuclear blackmail ?

Have a good one ... :jointsmile:

[GrinKyle]

Torog, I heard that you live in mineral wells, I work out there on my grampa's farm everyday, well actually in Cool, population 243.

[Anubis10012007]

Howdy Gandalf,

Speakin of blackmail,do ya reckon that if Iran does build some nukes,will they engage in nuclear blackmail ?

Have a good one ... :jointsmile:

The same people you entrust with your freedom, are the ones who don't want you to have freedom in the first place. Its a Catch 22. We can't have any intellectual speakers in the Bush Administration. Dissent equals death now.

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

Howdy Gandalf,

Speakin of blackmail,do ya reckon that if Iran does build some nukes,will they engage in nuclear blackmail ?

Have a good one ... :jointsmile:

Hard to say. US media loves to paint the Iranian government as insane fanatics without a bit of common sense or strategy. In reality they're as cunning as any government and smart enough to know that if you fire some nukes, more are comin' back your way. So far Iran has claimed that their nuclear technology is for energy purposes, and there's as yet no evidence to the contrary; only fear over the possible.

I fail to see what right America has to demand that Iran have no nuclear energy, or weapons, when both are plentiful in the United States. I can only imagine if China or Russia were putting sanctions on America, treatening war, unless you all abandon all your nuclear energy and weapons. I get the feeling that such demands suddenly wouldn't feel so reasonable.

[Psycho4Bud]

Hard to say. US media loves to paint the Iranian government as insane fanatics without a bit of common sense or strategy. In reality they're as cunning as any government and smart enough to know that if you fire some nukes, more are comin' back your way.

WWIII = 2 MESSIAHS AT WAR
J. Grant Swank, Jr.
Iranâ??s messiah will return again to rule in universal peace. Iran must drop the bomb to bring it about. Islamâ??s messianic return can only occur when the globe is in chaosâ??plagues, suffering, utter turmoil.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad believes that Mahdi, Muhammad ibn Hasan, will come back to this globe. He is the spiritual descendant of Prophet Mohammed, having disappeared as the 12th Imam. That was in the 9th century when the messiah was only 5 years old.

The Islamic messiah is waiting in the wings for apocalyptic anguish to envelop the globe. Then he will pierce the skies to reign upon Earth.
The Iranian President is not the only one who holds to this cultic creed. This is the belief of the chief sect, â??the Twelvers,â?� within Iranâ??s Muslim population.
Mosquewatch.blogspot.com: <strong>WWIII = 2 MESSIAHS AT WAR</strong>

This country is ran by Mullahs and their puppets.....I trust the peoples judgement regarding nuclear bombs but not the ones that would have their fingers on the magic button.

Have a good one!:s4:

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

But doesn't the Biblical description of the end of days say much the same thing?

[Psycho4Bud]

Yes it does but to now, as far as I'm aware, no western leader has stated that he is awaiting the coming of the four horsemen.

Have a good one!:s4:

[Torog]

Howdy Y'all,

GrinKyle, that's cool(no pun intended..lol ) that yer so close to me .

Anubis,you claim that "dissent=death row",is that a figure of speech,or have I missed the mass executions of all of the anti-wars ? Perhaps yer referring to the muslim-jihadists,who expressed their 'dissent',by attacking and destroying the WTC on 9/11/01 ?

Gandalf,you bring up an important point-that being that we should never underestimate the cunning of the enemy..we need to be mindful of such and even consider that the iranian leadership,is gitting advice and perhaps material support,from the russians on how to deliver a sucker-punch to the West.

Part of understanding the enemy,is learning what it is,that motivates them and what their final objectives are,a major part of that motivation is something that can't be reasoned with or appeased,that being religious motivators.

Have a good one ...