Ali
02-22-2005, 08:23 AM
IAEA head urges US to join Iran talks (http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2005/February/middleeast_February584.xml§ion=middleeast)
(Reuters)
19 February 2005
DAVOS, Switzerland - The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog urged the United States on Friday to join forces with the EU to persuade Iran to give up atomic processes that could be used to make weapons.
He drew a mixed response from U.S. politicians attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, with Democrats favouring engagement with Tehran while Republicans were more sceptical about any dealing with Iran's clerical rulers.
France, Britain and Germany are leading a European Union initiative to push Tehran to abandon its work on producing nuclear fuel in exchange for economic and political incentives.
Washington, which accuses Iran of developing nuclear weapons under cover of a civilian atomic energy programme, has given arm's-length support to the EU effort, but some U.S. officials say it is doomed. The United States has called for Iran to be referred to the U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions.
Asked if recent U.S. statements that military action was an option to stop Iran from getting a bomb, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Mohamed ElBaradei said he hoped the United States would opt for diplomacy.
"I would hope that the U.S. eventually would be actively engaged with the Europeans in the dialogue with Iran," ElBaradei told Reuters on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in this Alpine ski resort.
Iran denies wanting weapons and insists its nuclear ambitions are limited to the peaceful generation of electricity.
INDIRECTLY CONSULTED
Senator Joe Biden, the Democratic minority leader on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he favoured direct U.S. engagement with Iran, alongside the Europeans, to see whether Tehran was willing to give up its nuclear and missile programmes in return for security guarantees and economic incentives.
But Republican Senator Orrin Hatch accused Iran of letting insurgents into Iraq to kill U.S. and Iraqi troops and said the United States should support millions of pro-Western young people who he said wanted to overthrow clerical rule in Tehran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi told Reuters he did not yet see any sign of positive change in the U.S. attitude towards Tehran, but he believed the United States was being indirectly consulted on the EU-Iran nuclear negotiations.
Asked about ElBaradei's comment, he said: "There has not been such a proposal and I believe at this stage we are dealing with Europe, and the Europeans have certain commitments to coordinate matters with the Americans."
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said the Europeans agreed it would be totally unacceptable for Iran to get nuclear weapons but called for a diplomatic solution, saying the last thing the Middle East needed was another military conflict.
The IAEA has been investigating Iran's programme for more than two years. It has found no clear evidence that Iran is trying to get nuclear weapons, but did find that Iran concealed potentially arms-related activities for nearly two decades.
ElBaradei said Iran has been cooperating with IAEA inspectors, though the agency has more work to do there.
"So far, we are getting good cooperation and I think we still have work to do. But I'm optimistic that we're getting good positive cooperation."
He added that it was up to Iran to build confidence that its nuclear ambitions did not include the bomb.
"There is still a lot of concern about the Iranian programme," he said. "The more Iran cooperates the better for them and for the international community."
Iranian officials said there were no plans for Kharrazi to meet ElBaradei while both are in Davos.Looks like the neocons are going to attack, regardless of what happens.
(Reuters)
19 February 2005
DAVOS, Switzerland - The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog urged the United States on Friday to join forces with the EU to persuade Iran to give up atomic processes that could be used to make weapons.
He drew a mixed response from U.S. politicians attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, with Democrats favouring engagement with Tehran while Republicans were more sceptical about any dealing with Iran's clerical rulers.
France, Britain and Germany are leading a European Union initiative to push Tehran to abandon its work on producing nuclear fuel in exchange for economic and political incentives.
Washington, which accuses Iran of developing nuclear weapons under cover of a civilian atomic energy programme, has given arm's-length support to the EU effort, but some U.S. officials say it is doomed. The United States has called for Iran to be referred to the U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions.
Asked if recent U.S. statements that military action was an option to stop Iran from getting a bomb, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Mohamed ElBaradei said he hoped the United States would opt for diplomacy.
"I would hope that the U.S. eventually would be actively engaged with the Europeans in the dialogue with Iran," ElBaradei told Reuters on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in this Alpine ski resort.
Iran denies wanting weapons and insists its nuclear ambitions are limited to the peaceful generation of electricity.
INDIRECTLY CONSULTED
Senator Joe Biden, the Democratic minority leader on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he favoured direct U.S. engagement with Iran, alongside the Europeans, to see whether Tehran was willing to give up its nuclear and missile programmes in return for security guarantees and economic incentives.
But Republican Senator Orrin Hatch accused Iran of letting insurgents into Iraq to kill U.S. and Iraqi troops and said the United States should support millions of pro-Western young people who he said wanted to overthrow clerical rule in Tehran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi told Reuters he did not yet see any sign of positive change in the U.S. attitude towards Tehran, but he believed the United States was being indirectly consulted on the EU-Iran nuclear negotiations.
Asked about ElBaradei's comment, he said: "There has not been such a proposal and I believe at this stage we are dealing with Europe, and the Europeans have certain commitments to coordinate matters with the Americans."
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said the Europeans agreed it would be totally unacceptable for Iran to get nuclear weapons but called for a diplomatic solution, saying the last thing the Middle East needed was another military conflict.
The IAEA has been investigating Iran's programme for more than two years. It has found no clear evidence that Iran is trying to get nuclear weapons, but did find that Iran concealed potentially arms-related activities for nearly two decades.
ElBaradei said Iran has been cooperating with IAEA inspectors, though the agency has more work to do there.
"So far, we are getting good cooperation and I think we still have work to do. But I'm optimistic that we're getting good positive cooperation."
He added that it was up to Iran to build confidence that its nuclear ambitions did not include the bomb.
"There is still a lot of concern about the Iranian programme," he said. "The more Iran cooperates the better for them and for the international community."
Iranian officials said there were no plans for Kharrazi to meet ElBaradei while both are in Davos.Looks like the neocons are going to attack, regardless of what happens.