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http://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/iran_nuclear/2007/11/01/45977.html
U.S. Official Warns Iran on Nuke Program
Thursday, November 1, 2007
VIENNA, Austria -- A senior U.S. official challenged Iran's hard-line
president Thursday over his claim that Iranians are immune from further U.N.
sanctions, saying just such action is in the works unless Tehran meets
demands to curb its nuclear program.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad delivered his own warning in Tehran,
saying his government would make unspecified economic retaliation against
any European country that followed the U.S. lead in imposing sanctions on
some Iranian banks and businesses.
U.S. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns made his comment after a meeting
with the head of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog agency that was meant
to demonstrate unity following recent strains on how best to deal with
Iran's defiance.
Burns stopped to talk with Mohamed ElBaradei at the International Atomic
Energy Agency's headquarters before heading to London, where he was to
discuss the Iran standoff with his counterparts from Russia, China, Britain,
France and Germany.
He planned to press them for agreement on a third set of U.N. sanctions to
be threatened unless Tehran changes its position and obeys U.N. Security
Council demands that it suspend uranium enrichment and related programs.
France and Britain back new sanctions if Tehran remains defiant, but Russia
and China _ the two other veto-holding permanent members of the Security
Council _ are skeptical.
Washington and its allies say Iran is using the program to secretly develop
nuclear weapons, while the Islamic republic insists it needs enrichment
technology to produce fuel for atomic reactors that will generate
electricity.
Ahmadinejad has been adamant that Iran will not curtail its nuclear program
and has ridiculed previous sanctions as ineffective.
On Thursday, he said Europeans would suffer if they matched the latest U.S.
sanctions that bar American companies from dealing with businesses and banks
linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guards, a military force that has holdings in
oil, construction and other sectors.
"If they plan to cooperate with the enemy of the Iranian nation, we cannot
interpret this as a friendly behavior. We will show reaction," Iranian state
radio quoted Ahmadinejad as saying. "You, Europeans, know well what will
happen in the economic sphere if Iran takes a serious move in this matter."
According to Iranian statistics, Europe is Iran's largest trading partner.
ElBaradei angered Washington by suggesting it was too late to insist on a
full Iranian enrichment freeze and then reaching an agreement with Tehran
that commits Iran to answer questions it has been dodging about its nuclear
program.
While Washington has since swung its support behind that approach, U.S.
officials worry Iran will use the deal to try to weaken Security Council
attempts to force an enrichment halt. Ahmadinejad and other Iranian
officials have said that if Iran meets its commitment to tell all to the
IAEA, the matter before the Security Council will be "closed."
Burns took pains to rebut that view after his hour-long meeting with
ElBaradei.
Ahmadinejad "said in September the Security Council case is closed," Burns
told reporters. "I am sorry to tell him it's not closed. There are sanctions
being implemented ... and there will be a third Security Council sanctions
resolution" if Iran continues to defy the council.
Burns said he and ElBaradei agreed that "it's important that Iran finally
tell the truth about its activities in the past ... but we also agreed that
all of us" back a third round of sanctions if necessary.
The agreement between the IAEA and Iran commits Tehran to clear up by
December all questions about its program _ much of which the Iranians had
kept secret until discovered four years ago.
In Tehran, Iranian officials and IAEA representatives wrapped up four days
of talks on some of those questions Thursday, state media reported. The
Iranian side expressed satisfaction with the discussions, but there was no
comment from the U.N. agency.
U.S. Official Warns Iran on Nuke Program
Thursday, November 1, 2007
VIENNA, Austria -- A senior U.S. official challenged Iran's hard-line
president Thursday over his claim that Iranians are immune from further U.N.
sanctions, saying just such action is in the works unless Tehran meets
demands to curb its nuclear program.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad delivered his own warning in Tehran,
saying his government would make unspecified economic retaliation against
any European country that followed the U.S. lead in imposing sanctions on
some Iranian banks and businesses.
U.S. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns made his comment after a meeting
with the head of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog agency that was meant
to demonstrate unity following recent strains on how best to deal with
Iran's defiance.
Burns stopped to talk with Mohamed ElBaradei at the International Atomic
Energy Agency's headquarters before heading to London, where he was to
discuss the Iran standoff with his counterparts from Russia, China, Britain,
France and Germany.
He planned to press them for agreement on a third set of U.N. sanctions to
be threatened unless Tehran changes its position and obeys U.N. Security
Council demands that it suspend uranium enrichment and related programs.
France and Britain back new sanctions if Tehran remains defiant, but Russia
and China _ the two other veto-holding permanent members of the Security
Council _ are skeptical.
Washington and its allies say Iran is using the program to secretly develop
nuclear weapons, while the Islamic republic insists it needs enrichment
technology to produce fuel for atomic reactors that will generate
electricity.
Ahmadinejad has been adamant that Iran will not curtail its nuclear program
and has ridiculed previous sanctions as ineffective.
On Thursday, he said Europeans would suffer if they matched the latest U.S.
sanctions that bar American companies from dealing with businesses and banks
linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guards, a military force that has holdings in
oil, construction and other sectors.
"If they plan to cooperate with the enemy of the Iranian nation, we cannot
interpret this as a friendly behavior. We will show reaction," Iranian state
radio quoted Ahmadinejad as saying. "You, Europeans, know well what will
happen in the economic sphere if Iran takes a serious move in this matter."
According to Iranian statistics, Europe is Iran's largest trading partner.
ElBaradei angered Washington by suggesting it was too late to insist on a
full Iranian enrichment freeze and then reaching an agreement with Tehran
that commits Iran to answer questions it has been dodging about its nuclear
program.
While Washington has since swung its support behind that approach, U.S.
officials worry Iran will use the deal to try to weaken Security Council
attempts to force an enrichment halt. Ahmadinejad and other Iranian
officials have said that if Iran meets its commitment to tell all to the
IAEA, the matter before the Security Council will be "closed."
Burns took pains to rebut that view after his hour-long meeting with
ElBaradei.
Ahmadinejad "said in September the Security Council case is closed," Burns
told reporters. "I am sorry to tell him it's not closed. There are sanctions
being implemented ... and there will be a third Security Council sanctions
resolution" if Iran continues to defy the council.
Burns said he and ElBaradei agreed that "it's important that Iran finally
tell the truth about its activities in the past ... but we also agreed that
all of us" back a third round of sanctions if necessary.
The agreement between the IAEA and Iran commits Tehran to clear up by
December all questions about its program _ much of which the Iranians had
kept secret until discovered four years ago.
In Tehran, Iranian officials and IAEA representatives wrapped up four days
of talks on some of those questions Thursday, state media reported. The
Iranian side expressed satisfaction with the discussions, but there was no
comment from the U.N. agency.
