AP: U.S. Push to Strip Iran of Aid Resisted

[Eugene]

U.S. Push to Strip Iran of Aid Resisted

By GEORGE JAHN, Associated Press Writer

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

(01-16) 16:22 PST VIENNA, Austria (AP) --

A U.S. push to greatly reduce U.N. nuclear aid to Iran as part of Security Council
sanctions is facing opposition from traditional U.S. allies in the European Union
as well as from developing nations, diplomats said Tuesday.

Resistance was expected from developing nations on the board of the International
Atomic Energy Agency, which provides technical assistance to Iran to bolster the
use of nuclear energy. Most of those countries usually support Tehran's assertion
that it has the right to develop uranium enrichment technology, a process that can
create fuel for energy but also the fissile material for nuclear warheads.

But any European opposition could erode attempts to present a unified Western front
on dealing with Iran's nuclear defiance. The sanctions imposed on Iran last month
for refusing to suspend uranium enrichment came after months of wrangling between
Russia and China — which favored lighter penalties — and the U.S. and European
countries, which wanted tougher ones.

-snip-

Several diplomats said disagreements have arisen between the U.S. and other IAEA
members seeking broad reductions and those with a more moderate views.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/01/16/international/i162209S19.DTL

From Reuters...

Iran invites IAEA envoys to visit nuclear sites

By Mark Heinrich

Tue Jan 16, 6:43 PM ET

VIENNA (Reuters) - Iran has invited envoys from developing nations accredited
to the U.N. nuclear watchdog to visit its nuclear sites in a show of openness
about its atomic fuel program, diplomats said.

The Islamic Republic has been slapped with limited U.N. sanctions over
suspicions that its experimental efforts to enrich uranium are secretly geared
to building atom bombs, rather than to generating electricity as it maintains.

Iran has defiantly vowed to expand into industrial-scale fuel production,
but has also pledged continued compliance with International Atomic Energy
Agency inspections while trying to rally diplomatic support in its stand-off
with Western powers.

Tehran has invited envoys from the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) of developing
nations attached to the IAEA, and heads of the larger Group of 77 states and
of the Arab League office in Vienna, to visit on February 2-6, an Iranian
diplomat said.

-snip-

Full article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070116/wl_nm/iran_nuclear_envoys_dc

[acmavm]

1. I wonder why Russia and China really finally agreed to the sanctions

against Iran. There was a shitload of armtwisting to get their agreement. I would think that eventually they (or some sane nation) would get sick and tired of the bush** admin's constant bullying, wheedling and whining, and just say enough.

I'm not really a great fan of the idea of a nuclear Iran, but then I'm not a big fan of a nuclear Pakistan or India or Israel or any country. In the end, we may end up being the one who was least able or capable of handling the responsiblities and obligations and duties of being a nuclear armed nation. And that's what I'm wondering, when will the rest of the world figure that out?

[leesa]

2. Meanwhile, we continue to illegally provide aide to nuclear Israel...

[noonwitch]

3. If Iran has them, then Israel should

The iranian president has stated that Israel should be wiped off the map. They've got to have a defense against a nuclear-armed enemy making statements like that.

We really need to start funding an iranian counter-revolution, but we need to ensure that it is led by respected iranians whose countrymen will support them.

[Nihil]

4. Reverse that: If Israel has them, then Iran should.

> They've got to have a defense against a nuclear-armed enemy making
> statements like that.

Israel has had illegal nuclear weapons for decades.
Iran hasn't even got nuclear power yet.

> We really need to start funding an iranian counter-revolution,
> but we need to ensure that it is led by respected iranians whose
> countrymen will support them.

Hey that's a great idea! Let's support a movement to put a new leader
in charge, maybe a Shah again, and see how well received it is!

Tell you what, in a few years time you can send some more helicopters
to crash in the desert too and really help history repeat itself ...
:eyes: