DAR AL HARB / ISLAM - THE WEST / U.N./ IRAN: THE U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL IS "ILLEGITIMATE"

Ahmadinejad attacks 'illegitimate' Security Council

TEHRAN (AFP) - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Thursday said the UN Security Council lacked any legitimacy, as the world body prepared a second package of sanctions over Iran's disputed nuclear programme.

"Today the enemies of the Iranian people are seeking to use the Security Council to prevent the progress and development of Iran. But the Security Council has no legitimacy among the peoples of the world," said Ahmadinejad.

"They think that they are the representatives of the international community but the Iranian people do not lend any value to their decisions," the IRNA news agency quoted him as saying in a speech in the central Yazd province.

His withering attack on the UN's most powerful body indicated Tehran has no intention of fulfilling Western hopes that a new package of sanctions could nudge the Islamic republic into suspending sensitive nuclear activities.

Envoys from world powers said on Wednesday they hope to present the Security Council with a package of new sanctions against Iran on Thursday amid expectations that a vote would take place next week.

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Ahdmadinejad's pre-emptive attack against any new sanctions (not that these sanctions are going to really do any good)...I also see that the world is not having fits when it comes to Iran's pre-emptive attack, now if that was the United States the world would have had one spastic attack after another...

and

Iran president calls U.N. resolution "torn paper"

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Thursday dismissed any new U.N. sanctions resolution as "a torn piece of paper" that would not stop Tehran's nuclear work, the official IRNA news agency reported.

U.S., British, French, German, Russian and Chinese diplomats at the United Nations have reached a tentative deal on imposing fresh sanctions on Iran and hope to introduce the measure at the Security Council on Thursday, providing their governments agree.

"Issuing such torn pieces of paper ... will not have an impact on Iranian nation's will," IRNA quoted Ahmadinejad as telling a rally in central Iran.

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and


UN Agrees on Tough Measures for Tehran
The UN Security Council has reached agreement on a new round of sanctions to be imposed on Iran if it continues to enrich uranium. Tehran, though, remains defiant.

Diplomats at the United Nations have reached broad agreement on a package of new measures against Iran, following its continued refusal to stop enriching uranium. The draft text, which may be adopted as early as next week, is believed to include a ban on the export of arms from Iran and a freeze on the assets of key Iranian officials.

Envoys from the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France -- the five permanent members of the Security Council -- who negotiated the text along with Germany, said a draft resolution has now been sent to their respective capitals for approval. After that the 10 non-permanent council members must deliberate before any vote can be taken.

The text of the draft document also calls on all nations and international financial institutions not to enter into new commitments for grants, financial assistance and loans except "for humanitarian and developmental purposes".

It does not impose a mandatory travel embargo on Iranian officials engaged in sensitive nuclear activities. It does, though, require nations to notify a Security Council sanctions committee if such officials pass through their territory.

The new draft resolution would give Iran another 60 days to comply with the UN demand that it cease uranium enrichment or face the threat of further sanctions. But all measures would be suspended if Tehran halts enrichment activities and returns to the negotiating table.

But Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad this week warned the West that it would deepen the rift with his country by imposing more UN sanctions.

"You are wrong if you think you can sit and draft ... something in order to isolate the Iranian nation," he said. "Not only are you unable to hurt Iran, but you would further isolate yourselves and make yourselves more hated."

Responding to the latest threat of sanctions Ahmadinejad said: "What is the aim of issuing such resolutions? Today we are mastering the nuclear fuel cycle completely. If all of you (Westerners) get together, and call your ancestors from hell as well, you will not be able to stop the Iranian nation. You sanctioned us in the past but we obtained the nuclear technology. Impose economic sanctions on us today and see what would be our next step."


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but the E.U. wants to keep the "negotiating door" open:

EU to keep "door open for negotiation" with Iran
dpa German Press Agency

Nuremberg, Germany- The European Union is to keep the dooropen for negotiations with Iran over its nuclear programme, after anexpected UN Security Council resolution imposing harsher sanctions ispassed, EU foreign policy head Javier Solana said Thursday.Solana was speaking in Nuremberg on the sidelines of an EU-ASEANconference after diplomats in New York had indicated the fivepermanent Security Council members planned to introduce a measure forharsher sanctions against Iran later Thursday.

"We are maintaining the door open for negotiation," Solana toldjournalists.

But he added that Tehran knew what was required if it wanted toavert tough sanctions.

Tehran has shown no sign of backing down over its uraniumenrichment programme, which it maintains is for purely peacefulpurposes.

Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani said Wednesday thatany Security Council resolution against Iran would indicate thehostility of the UN veto powers plus Germany towards Iran.

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Pertinent Links:

1) Ahmadinejad attacks 'illegitimate' Security Council

2) Iran president calls U.N. resolution "torn paper"

3) UN Agrees on Tough Measures for Tehran

4) EU to keep "door open for negotiation" with Iran