Pakistan Keen to Defuse Iran-US Nuclear Row

[TexasLawyer]

In case you haven't had enough irony today...

Pakistan Keen to Defuse Iran-US Nuclear Row

Aziz to Visit

Masood Khan

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Jan. 31--Pakistan said on Monday it was trying to prevent a future conflict in the region by helping to defuse tensions between Iran and the United States and its allies over Tehran's nuclear program. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Masood Khan said Pakistan is a close friend of Iran, of the United States and of European countries that have been talking to the Iranians, Reuters reported.

"What Pakistan is trying to do is to play a helpful role," he said when asked if Pakistan had been acting as a mediator between Iran and the United States. "We want to defuse the situation, we want to create an atmosphere, an enabling environment, where the dominant norm is talks," he said, adding that the aim was to avoid exasperating tensions.

"Because war, conflict, in this part of the world is not the solution and that is why the leadership of Pakistan is making these efforts, strenuous efforts, to help defuse the situation, defuse the crisis, this gathering storm." The call came after US officials and diplomats said the United States had rebuffed pleas to join a European diplomatic drive to discuss Iran's nuclear program.

<snip>

"I think everybody would agree that we must avert this conflict and Pakistan is making efforts in that direction." Last year, the father of Pakistan's nuclear bomb, Abdul Qadeer Khan, admitted selling nuclear secrets to Iran as well as to Libya and North Korea. But Iran denies US charges it is pursuing nuclear arms and says its programs are only for peaceful power generation needed to keep up with its growing population.

http://www.iran-daily.com/1383/2204/html/national.htm#42123

[Fenris]

1. That seems likely.

:eyes:

[MidwestTransplant]

2. Last week there was news that we were launching missions into

Iran with the help of Pakistan. Also, I am sure Pakistan probably helped Iran with any nuclear ambitions.

[Tempest]

3. Pakistan was deeply involved in Iran and North Korea's nuke programs

And the Bush administration was well aware of Pakistan's involvement.

Do a Google search on Pakistan and Khan.

[TexasLawyer]

4. I know all about that

Our good buddy Pakistan has done far, far more to put WMD in the hands of rogue states than Iraq ever "did" (in Bush's lies).