ONE HYPERPUISSANCE & FIVE POWERS FAIL TO AGREE TO A JOINT STATEMENT

6 Powers Can't Agree on Iran Statement

VIENNA, Austria (AP) - Six world powers abandoned attempts Tuesday to issue a joint statement criticizing Iran's nuclear defiance after China and Russia refused to endorse U.S.-backed tough language, diplomats said.

The split, at a 35-nation meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency's board, reflected indecision on how to react to Tehran's weekend suggestion that it might temporarily suspend uranium enrichment - but only on its own terms.

The White House dismissed the suggestion on Tuesday, saying

[1]"there's been no change in the Iranian position."

Russia and China have both signed off on U.N. sanctions as a way to punish Iran for its refusal to freeze uranium enrichment, which was first requested and then demanded by the U.N. Security Council. Russia and China are both permanent council members with veto power and part of the six-nation coalition trying to pressure Tehran to give up enrichment.

Both, however, have resisted U.S.-led efforts to move to sanctions quickly, despite the expiration of an Aug. 31 deadline for Iran to freeze work on developing the technology, which can be used to help make nuclear arms. Instead, they favor continued negotiations with Tehran.
[2]
Diplomats accredited to the IAEA, who demanded anonymity in exchange for sharing confidential information with The Associated Press, said Iran's readiness to consider a temporary enrichment freeze appears to have exacerbated differences over U.N. sanctions.

Iran's offer of a freeze for up to two months was unofficial and tentative, made during weekend talks between European Union top foreign policy official Javier Solana and senior Iranian nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani. It was revealed by officials from delegations familiar with the outcome of those talks.

Expanding on the Iranian overture Tuesday, those same officials told AP that Tehran was willing to freeze enrichment temporarily once it begins talks with the six powers that are meant to defuse the nuclear crisis. The six are formally demanding a stop to enrichment before such talks.

The Bush administration on Tuesday dismissed suggestions that Iran might suspend uranium enrichment for up to two months.

"To the best of my knowledge there has been no Iranian proposal," State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey said. "There's been no change in the Iranian position."
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[1] Why would Iran's position change?!?

They have kept the same position since the very beginning while The West broke out in a sweat...

They have kept the same position when they converted Uranium Ore to Uranium Hexaflouride, while The West fretted and came up with an offer that they thought Iran would not refuse ...Well they did refuse and continued to do whatever they pleased, talk be damned...

[2] Iran outsmarts the United States of America and makes them THE BAD GUY...Iran offers to stop enrichment for a bit of time and the United States is put in the position of having to say no, not good enough...

Well right now, behind closed doors the world is putting the squeeze on the United States to accept Iran's overture of a "mini-freeze" and I predict here and now, that the United States will take them up on the offer because we have been willing do the APPEASEMENT DANCE...



Pertinent Links:

1) 6 Powers Can't Agree on Iran Statement