Iran Nuclear Watch

Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran Agrees to 8 Week Delay in Uranium Enrichment

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Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani (L) meets European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana in the Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel’s office in Vienna September 9, 2006.

The Guardian: Iran offers to freeze uranium enrichment for eight weeks

Iran offered to freeze its uranium enrichment programme yesterday for eight weeks in what looked like a successful tactic aimed at delaying consideration of international sanctions.

In talks at the weekend in Vienna between Iran’s national security chief, Ali Larijani, and the European Union’s foreign policy supremo, Javier Solana, Tehran appeared to concede enough to prevent a quick move to sanctions by the UN security council.

Washington is pressing for a swift decision on sanctions after Tehran failed to meet the terms of a security council resolution requiring it to freeze its uranium enrichment activities in order to resume negotiations with the west, Russia and China. The weekend talks in Vienna were seen as a final chance to avert a bigger confrontation. But EU officials said yesterday that there would be further talks as a result of the weekend session.

No surprise – the Iranians are the MASTER of the STALL.

And what kind of inspections will the IAEA and the EU/P-5-Plus-1 impose on Iran to insure they are NOT cheating?

Probably NONE.

What is Iran REALLY saying?

In Tehran, the Foreign Ministry repeated on Sunday that Iran would accept no preconditions for negotiations and again dismissed the idea that it would agree to shelve enrichment.

“Suspension is an issue that is in the past. We cannot return to the past. We want talks without any precondition,” spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told a weekly news conference.

Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency quoted a diplomatic source in Vienna as saying: “Iran’s will is to be flexible enough for resolving the issue through the channel of talks. Meanwhile Iran wants to obtain its right to nuclear technology.”

Same ol’ Same ol’
The IAEA is hearing reports today on Iran’s nuclear program but no action is anticipated.

Next stop is the United Nations Security Council for debate on MEANINGLESS SANCTIONS.

irannukeseptember11bweb

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Mohammed ElBaradei briefs the media before a board of governors meeting at Vienna’s U.N. headquarters September 11, 2006. The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog on Monday welcomed progress in talks between the European Union and Iran over Tehran’s disputed uranium enrichment programme.

Such progress?

Thes United Nations folks are quite feckless, are they not?

Captain Ed has Ahmadinejad As Monty Hall

If we thought the Iranians made this offer in good faith, we’d celebrate this as a breakthrough. However, the narrow window of cessation shows that the Iranian offer is nothing more than a stunt. An eight-week pause means little for their enrichment program. Iran will use it as a Sword of Damocles against the West, a clock ticking while the Europeans rush to give Iran everything and the kitchen sink before the clock runs out.

If I’m wrong, I’d be happy to admit it. If Iran really gives up enrichment, then we’ll all be better off. I think there’s more chance that the Democratic Party will advertise on tonight’s installment of “The Path to 9/11”.

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The Iran Nuclear Files

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The Natanz uranium enrichment complex in Natanz is pictured in this January 2, 2006 satellite image.


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