. Military Space News .
Iran Prepares Nuclear Counter Proposal

Iran insists its nuclear program is a peaceful effort to produce energy, but the United States and its allies suspect the program is a cover for atomic weapons-making.
by Staff Writers
Tehran (AFP) Jun 20, 2006
Iran said Monday it was preparing a counter-offer as officials rejected a key stipulation in a proposal by world powers for the Islamic republic to halt uranium enrichment ahead of nuclear talks.

A day after other regime officials implicitly rejected the international incentives offer -- which hinges on Tehran's suspension of sensitive nuclear fuel cycle work -- by refusing any preconditions, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad weighed in with a similar statement.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran has always favored a just and equal dialogue with no preconditions," state television quoted Ahmadinejad as saying in a meeting with Iran's top officials and supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The hardline president said a counter-offer was being prepared to one presented earlier this month by the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany, which he nevertheless described as "a step forward."

"Our experts are examining the proposal, after the examination ... Iran's views will be submitted to the other party," he added.

Alaeddin Borujerdi, Iran's head of the parliamentary foreign affairs commission, was cited by the press as predicting a starkly different counter-offer from the one proposed by world powers.

"Our views are not like theirs. Our proposals will definitely have some differences," Borujerdi said.

The London-based Financial Times quoted regime insiders as saying Iran was ready to limit its nuclear program but would not suspend uranium enrichment as a precondition for international talks.

"Around 70 per cent of senior people may be prepared, under pressure, to accept an eventual limit on the number of centrifuges (for enriching uranium)," one of the two anonymous sources was quoted as saying.

The source added that Tehran would give the international community "objective guarantees" of the peaceful nature of its nuclear program.

Tehran is set to make its counter-proposal within the next two weeks in response to the package of incentives, according to the Financial Times.

Other Iranian officials said Sunday they would not accept any "preconditions" for fresh international talks, implicitly rejecting demands that the Islamic republic suspend uranium enrichment.

The five permanent Security Council members -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- plus Germany have made a suspension of enrichment a non-negotiable precondition to their proposed incentives package.

The offer, presented to Iran on June 6, involves incentives and multilateral talks if Iran agrees to a temporarily halt the sensitive nuclear activity and cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Iran insists its nuclear program is a peaceful effort to produce energy, but the United States and its allies suspect the program is a cover for atomic weapons-making.

Washington has said it expects a response from Iran before the end of June.

Foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said Sunday that "if the Europeans act with logic and reason, the chances for a result are there. If the Europeans respect our rights, they will have greater credibility."

He did not explicitly mention enrichment, but Iranian officials invariably refer to the activity as a "right" enshrined by the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki also refused to explicitly say if Iran would agree or refuse to suspend enrichment.

French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy urged Iran to suspend uranium enrichment if it wishes to avert UN sanctions.

"Iran must in return meet the repeated demands of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Security Council in particular by suspending its sensitive nuclear activities," Douste-Blazy told reporters during a visit to Qatar.

"This would make possible a resumption of negotiations, and Security Council action would obviously no longer be necessary, " Douste-Blazy said.

Source: Agence France-Presse

Related Links
-

US And Russian Nuclear Weapons Deal Extended
Washington (AFP) Jun 20, 2006
The United States and Russia have extended the US-funded program that pays for the dismantling of weapons of mass destruction inherited by Russia from the former Soviet Union, the White House said Monday.







  • Putin Has An Asian Vision For Growth And Cooperation
  • Chinese Military Delegation Departs For US War Games
  • Shanghai Pact Struts World Stage
  • Iran Must Prove Nuclear Work Peaceful Say Nuclear Superpowers

  • North Korea Plays A New Missile Card
  • US Policy Becoming Confused Over Iran Says Russia
  • Iran Prepares Nuclear Counter Proposal
  • North Korea Stirs Jitters With Missile Launch Boast

  • Aerojet Awarded Contract To Develop New Technologies For Future ICBM Systems
  • New American Non-Nuclear ICBM Creates Global Dangers
  • LockMart Completes Hellfire Flight Test Series on Tiger Helicopter
  • Trident 2's Targets

  • Patriot Missile Destroys Drone For Second Straight Hit
  • Boost Phase Blues Impact Missile Shield Developments
  • Patriot Guidance Enhanced Missile Passes Key Test
  • RTI Selected Lockheed Martin Team For The Aegis Open Architecture Weapon System

  • Globemaster Airdrops Falcon Small Launch Vehicle
  • Terma Selected To Manufacture Key Components Of F-35 JSF
  • Giant NASA Balloon Lifts Of From Esrange Space Center
  • CENTAF Releases Airpower Summary

  • Raytheon Wins Contract On ISIS UAV Project
  • Police Launch Eye-In-The-Sky Technology Above Los Angeles
  • Greece Orders Two Additional Sperwer UAV Systems From Sagem Defense
  • Laboratory Tests Fuel Efficient Flying-Wing Aircraft

  • Deteriorating Realities In Iraq
  • Securing Baghdad Will Take Legions To Garrison
  • US Military Death Toll In Iraq Hits 2500
  • White House Says There Will Be No Permanent Iraq Presence

  • Raytheon Tests Projectile with Semi-Active Laser Seeker
  • Saab Lands Major New Camouflage Technology Deal
  • ATK Tests Advanced 155mm Projectile
  • Northrop Grumman Flight Tests Radar Antenna For B-2 Stealth Bomber

  • The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2006 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA PortalReports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additionalcopyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement