Diplomats Will Try to Break Iran Impasse

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Top diplomats from the five veto-wielding nations on the U.N. Security Council will meet in New York next week to try to break an impasse over how to deal with Iran's suspect nuclear program, diplomats said Thursday. The meeting on Monday would bring together the most senior foreign affairs officials from the United States, Russia, Britain, France and China since a London gathering on Jan. 30, when their foreign ministers agreed to refer Iran to the Security Council over concerns it is trying to develop atomic weapons.

Plans for the high-level negotiations underscored the urgency that Britain, France and the United States feel about the Iran issue, and reflect just how deep the divisions are between those three and China and Russia, which want only mild Security Council action on Iran. Two U.S. officials said that Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns will attend for the Americans. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks, set for next Monday, have not been officially announced.

``Time is running out,'' France's U.N. Ambassador Jean-Marc de La Sabliere said Thursday. ``I am confident that we can reach an agreement, I am not saying that there will be consensus, but I am confident.'' The U.N. ambassadors from the five veto-wielding members of the council last met on Wednesday but announced no major progress in their dispute over what the council should do. Britain, France and the United States want a statement that would call on Iran to abandon uranium enrichment and comply with other demands by the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Uranium enrichment can be used either in the generation of electricity or to make nuclear weapons. Iran insists its program is to produce nuclear energy, but the International Atomic Energy Agency has raised concerns that Tehran might be seeking nuclear arms. Russia and China, which are allies of Iran, only want a statement stressing the central role the IAEA has on the Iran issue. The two nations are not as skeptical of Tehran's intentions and believe that tough council action could spark an Iranian withdrawal from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and expulsion of inspectors from the IAEA. They also fear a chain reaction of council action that could lead to tougher measures later on, such as sanctions.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-5690882,00.html

[LynnTheDem]

1. The only "Iran impasse" is the ignorant belligerance of bush & his cabal.

And bush & his cabal LIKE being ignorant & belligerant.

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

2. All I Have To Say Is.....

:rofl:

[SpiralHawk]

3. "We don't want no steenkin agreement" -- kommander AWOL & BushCo

"We want land, money, oil, power, and your Heathen Souls"

- With Bombs of Love as always, your Kompassionately Konzervative Komrades in the BushCo Kabal of Korrupt Kronies

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4. US upbeat on Iran talks

U.N. Security Council envoys reported progress for the first time on Thursday in tackling Iran's nuclear ambitions but the United States acknowledged that differences remained.

China appeared to be more flexible on a draft council statement but Russia was said to hang tough on how much the Security Council should be involved in Tehran's nuclear program, which the West believes is a cover for bomb making, two envoys close to the talks said.

Still, U.N. Ambassador John Bolton told reporters, "I would describe today's meeting as the best we have had so far. There are still areas of disagreement ... but I am very encouraged."

Others agreed. "We are much closer today than we were yesterday," said Tanzania's U.N. Ambassador Augustine Mahiga.

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=newsOne&storyID=2006-03-17T022420Z_01_N16314617_RTRUKOC_0_US-NUCLEAR-IRAN-MEETING.xml