Iran has "basic" enrichment deal in Russia

[cal04]

Iran's ambassador to the U.N. nuclear watchdog said on Saturday that Iran had a basic deal to enrich uranium in a joint venture in Russia but said details were still being worked out, Iranian state radio reported. Ali-Asghar Soltanieh, the envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), did not say if the joint venture enrichment was an alternative to enriching inside Iran, although Iranian officials have insisted they would defy U.N. demands and continue to enrich on Iranian territory.

"He ... announced the basic agreement on a joint uranium enrichment firm on Russian soil and said that there are only some issues regarding technical, legal and financial matters that need more assessment or exchange of ideas," radio quoted Soltanieh as saying from Russia. Iran previously said in February that it had reached a "basic agreement" with Russia on jointly enriching uranium.

But little headway was subsequently made due to Tehran's refusal to suspend home-grown enrichment, the main demand of Western powers who are threatening to press for U.N. sanctions on Iran. Western nations accuse Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons and insist that Iran halts uranium enrichment work which has military and civilian uses. Iran says it only wants to produce electricity.

Soltanieh was also quoted by the radio announcer as saying Iran would issue tenders next month for two nuclear power stations, in addition to one being built with Russian help near the southern port city of Bushehr. It was not clear if he meant May or the next Iranian month which starts on May 22.

http://go.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=11926466&src=rss/topNews

[norml]

1. I hope this deal goes through.

It would undercut the drive for war, plus gas prices would go down.

[cliss]

2. What's the US opinion on this?

Have they said they will agree with Russian-Iranian co-operation?

Or are they going to take them both on?

(With Bush, you just never know:smoke:)

[lovuian]

3. I think is so ironic that its Bush err...

that Poppy Bush helped to build it just is so ironic...

[MrPrax]

4. Outplayed?

Why am I think that Russia wouldn't mind it if there were sanctions--wouldn't that ultimately drive Iran in a closer relationship with Russia.
At some point, Iran, Russia and China are simply going to ignore the US and the UN and the west won't have any leverage or control over the situation.

The Shrub and his minions are going about this all wrong--but then again, what's new...

[libodem]

5. what, now we'll have to nuke Russia , too

and as I heard on TV last night Bush doesn't trust any of the 6 ex-generals opinions...just General Electric and General Dynamics, and General...More war more profits...that's all that matters

[maddezmom]

6. kick

[icymist]

7. Report: Iran, Russia Strike Deal On Uranium Enrichment

TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran state television reports said Saturday that a deal has been reached for Iran to enrich uranium on Russian soil.
More

Iran has "basic" enrichment deal in Russia

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran's ambassador to the U.N. nuclear watchdog said on Saturday that Iran had a basic deal to enrich uranium in a joint venture in Russia but said details were still being worked out, Iranian state radio reported.

Ali-Asghar Soltanieh, the envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), did not say if the joint venture enrichment was an alternative to enriching inside Iran, although Iranian officials have insisted they would defy U.N. demands and continue to enrich on Iranian territory.

"He ... announced the basic agreement on a joint uranium enrichment firm on Russian soil and said that there are only some issues regarding technical, legal and financial matters that need more assessment or exchange of ideas," radio quoted Soltanieh as saying from Russia.

More

[tatertop]

8. Bush still has regime change as his casus belli

[Douglas Carpenter]

11. That's what Sam Nunn thinks too

Former Sen. Sam Nunn suspects that the Bush Administration's real goal is regime change.

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/18/ywt.01.html

snip : "NUNN: But the administration is torn between conversation about regime change in Iran and diplomacy. And that means that the allies and the people you need to help you don't get a clear message about where we are on Iran. If we're really for regime change and if that's being actively pursued, then it's very hard to sit down with someone and talk with them if you're actually trying to kick them out of office."

Scott Ritter goes a bit farther:

Scott Ritter's interview at at San Diego CityBeat:

http://www.sdcitybeat.com/article.php?id=4281

snip:"The Bush administration does not have policy of disarmament vis-à-vis Iran. They do have a policy of regime change. If we had a policy of disarmament, we would have engaged in unilateral or bilateral discussions with the Iranians a long time ago. But we put that off the table because we have no desire to resolve the situation we use to facilitate the military intervention necessary to achieve regime change. It’s the exact replay of the game plan used for Iraq, where we didn’t care what Saddam did, what he said, what the weapons inspectors found. We created the perception of a noncompliant Iraq, and we stuck with that perception, selling that perception until we achieved our ultimate objective, which was invasion that got rid of Saddam. With Iran, we are creating the perception of a noncompliant Iran, a threatening Iran. It doesn’t matter what the facts are. Now that we have successfully created that perception, the Bush administration will move forward aggressively until it achieves its ultimate objective, which is regime change."
____________________________

US refuses to discuss Iran's nuclear plans in face-to-face talks on Iraq

Jonathan Steele in Baghdad and Julian Borger in Washington
Tuesday April 18, 2006
The Guardian

link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/iran/story/0,,1755750,00.html

Although the US is resisting pressure to deal with Iran's nuclear ambitions through direct talks with Tehran, rather than sanctions or military strikes, it still intends to meet senior Iranian officials for discussions on Iraq at which it will demand an end to Iranian meddling, according to Zalmay Khalilzad, the US ambassador in Baghdad.
He is to head the US team at face-to-face talks, which will be the first formal diplomatic meeting between the two countries since the Islamic revolution in 1979 and are expected to open in Baghdad shortly.
______________________



http://www.dontattackiran.org

[HuffleClaw]

9. we've heard this before

and the 'deal fell apart'. i think this is propaganda.

[oblivious]

12. Maybe: "Iran Denies Reaching Deal With Russia on Uranium Enrichment"

Created: 24.04.2006 12:35 MSK (GMT +3), Updated: 12:36 MSK, 1 hour 49 minutes ago
MosNews

Iran has officially denied reaching a basic deal to enrich uranium in a joint venture with Russia that was announced by Iran’s ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency Ali Asghar Soltanieh on Saturday, the Associated Press reported.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told reporters that a Russian compromise plan for joint uranium enrichment was still on the table.

The Saturday announcement was a repeat of a similar declaration by Iran and Russia in February the details of which were never worked out.

“The ground need to be prepared for its implementation,” Asefi said. It still remains unclear whether Iran would entirely give up enrichment at home, a top demand of the West, or if the joint venture would be complementary to existing enrichment inside Iran.
http://www.mosnews.com/news/2006/04/24/iranrussia.shtml

[Stockholm]

10. Does this mean the reason for attacks have been removed?

Well played Iran and well done Russia for brokering such a delicate deal.