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http://www.newsmax.com/international/iran_russia/2007/10/15/41063.html
Putin Delays Iran Visit Amid Plot Report
Monday, October 15, 2007
TEHRAN, Iran -- Russian President Vladimir Putin pledged Monday to negotiate
with Iran on behalf of the international community in their nuclear
standoff, although he didn't come to Tehran as scheduled amid warnings of a
possible assassination plot.
Putin's planned trip, the first here by a Kremlin leader since World War II,
raised hopes that personal diplomacy could find a solution to the impasse
over the Iranian nuclear program, but he delayed his arrival, which had been
set for Monday evening.
The Russian leader insisted to reporters in Germany that he was going ahead
with the trip, but the Kremlin declined to discuss details. The official
Iranian news agency said late Monday that Putin had only put off his trip by
several hours and would be in Tehran early Tuesday in time for a Caspian
region summit.
"Putin will arrive in Tehran at the head of a delegation tomorrow morning,"
the Islamic Republic News Agency said, quoting Iran's presidential press
service.
Iran gave no further details, and Kremlin officials wouldn't comment on
reasons for the delay or say exactly when Putin would arrive. Officials in
Germany, where Putin wrapped up a two-day visit, said they could not say
where the Russian leader was.
Putin's trip was first thrown into doubt when the Kremlin said Sunday that
he had been informed by Russian special services that suicide attackers
might try to kill him in Tehran, but he shrugged off the warning Monday.
"Of course I am going to Iran," he said after talks with German Chancellor
Angela Merkel. "If I always listened to all the various threats and the
recommendations of the special services I would never leave home."
The remark played into the carefully crafted image of a fearless leader that
Putin has cultivated, and also appeared aimed at emphasizing that he is in
control _ not under undue influence from security officials _ as he
maneuvers to maintain influence after his presidential term ends next year.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini dismissed reports
about the purported assassination plot as disinformation spread by
adversaries hoping to spoil good relations between Russia and Iran.
Putin has warned the U.S. and other nations against trying to coerce Iran
into reining in its nuclear program and insists peaceful dialogue is the
only way to deal with Tehran's defiance of a U.N. Security Council demand
that it suspend uranium enrichment.
"Threatening someone, in this case the Iranian leadership and Iranian
people, will lead nowhere," Putin said in Germany. "They are not afraid,
believe me."
Iran's rejection of the council's demand and its previous clandestine atomic
work has fed suspicions in the U.S. and other countries that Tehran is
working to enrich uranium to a purity usable in nuclear weapons. Iran
insists it is only wants lesser-enriched uranium to fuel nuclear reactors
that would generate electricity.
Putin's visit to Tehran, the first such trip by a Kremlin leader since Josef
Stalin attended a 1943 wartime summit with Winston Churchill and Franklin D.
Roosevelt, is being closely watched for any possible shifts in Russia's
carefully hedged stance in the nuclear standoff.
The Russian president underlined his disagreements with Washington last
week, saying he saw no "objective data" to prove Western claims that Iran is
trying to construct nuclear weapons.
Russia, which is building Iran's first nuclear power plant, has resisted the
push by the U.S. and its allies for stronger U.N. sanctions against Tehran
and strongly warned Washington against using force.
"Putin's trip to Tehran is a show of Russia's independence in global
affairs. Putin, who approaches the end of his term, wants to demonstrate
that he wouldn't cave in to the U.S. pressure," said Alexander Pikayev, an
expert on Iran with Russia's Institute for World Economy and International
Relations.
Putin emphasized Monday that he would negotiate in Tehran on behalf of the
five permanent U.N. Security Council members _ United States, Russia, China,
Britain and France _ and Germany, a group that has led efforts to resolve
the stalemate with Tehran.
He said the group "can and must be patient" in dealing with the Iranian
leadership.
"If we have a chance to maintain such direct contact, we will do it
expecting a positive and, I will stress, joint result," Putin said. "Because
Russia has worked and intends to continue to work with partners in Europe
and the United States to achieve a common goal."
In Washington, State Department spokesman Tom Casey said the U.S. government
expected Putin to "convey the concerns shared by all of us about the failure
of Iran to comply with the international community's requirements concerning
its nuclear program."
Putin's schedule called for meetings with hard-line Iranian President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the country's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei. He also
was to participate in a meeting Tuesday of the leaders of nations bordering
the Caspian Sea, which are arguing over division of its oil.
While the Kremlin has shielded Tehran from a U.S. push for a third round of
U.N. sanctions, Iran has voiced annoyance about Moscow's foot-dragging in
building a nuclear power plant in the southern port of Bushehr under a $1
billion contract.
Russia warned early this year that the plant wouldn't be launched this fall
as planned because Iran was slow in making payments. Iranian officials have
angrily denied any payment arrears and accused the Kremlin of caving in to
Western pressure.
Moscow also has ignored Iranian demands to ship fuel for the plant, saying
it would be delivered only six months before the Bushehr plant goes on line.
The launch date has been delayed indefinitely amid the payment dispute.
Any sign by Putin that Russia could quickly complete the power plant would
embolden Iran and further cloud Russia's relations with the West.
But Putin's trip would be important for Iran even if it yielded no
agreements. "It's a break in international isolation, a chance to show that
Iran is an important country," Pikayev, the analyst, told the AP.
Iranian media also emphasized the importance of Putin's trip. "Iran can use
the visit to lobby for getting our nuclear dossier out of the U.N. Security
Council and Russia can strengthen its opposition to the U.S. through
boosting ties with Tehran," the hard-line newspaper Resalat said in an
editorial.
Putin Delays Iran Visit Amid Plot Report
Monday, October 15, 2007
TEHRAN, Iran -- Russian President Vladimir Putin pledged Monday to negotiate
with Iran on behalf of the international community in their nuclear
standoff, although he didn't come to Tehran as scheduled amid warnings of a
possible assassination plot.
Putin's planned trip, the first here by a Kremlin leader since World War II,
raised hopes that personal diplomacy could find a solution to the impasse
over the Iranian nuclear program, but he delayed his arrival, which had been
set for Monday evening.
The Russian leader insisted to reporters in Germany that he was going ahead
with the trip, but the Kremlin declined to discuss details. The official
Iranian news agency said late Monday that Putin had only put off his trip by
several hours and would be in Tehran early Tuesday in time for a Caspian
region summit.
"Putin will arrive in Tehran at the head of a delegation tomorrow morning,"
the Islamic Republic News Agency said, quoting Iran's presidential press
service.
Iran gave no further details, and Kremlin officials wouldn't comment on
reasons for the delay or say exactly when Putin would arrive. Officials in
Germany, where Putin wrapped up a two-day visit, said they could not say
where the Russian leader was.
Putin's trip was first thrown into doubt when the Kremlin said Sunday that
he had been informed by Russian special services that suicide attackers
might try to kill him in Tehran, but he shrugged off the warning Monday.
"Of course I am going to Iran," he said after talks with German Chancellor
Angela Merkel. "If I always listened to all the various threats and the
recommendations of the special services I would never leave home."
The remark played into the carefully crafted image of a fearless leader that
Putin has cultivated, and also appeared aimed at emphasizing that he is in
control _ not under undue influence from security officials _ as he
maneuvers to maintain influence after his presidential term ends next year.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini dismissed reports
about the purported assassination plot as disinformation spread by
adversaries hoping to spoil good relations between Russia and Iran.
Putin has warned the U.S. and other nations against trying to coerce Iran
into reining in its nuclear program and insists peaceful dialogue is the
only way to deal with Tehran's defiance of a U.N. Security Council demand
that it suspend uranium enrichment.
"Threatening someone, in this case the Iranian leadership and Iranian
people, will lead nowhere," Putin said in Germany. "They are not afraid,
believe me."
Iran's rejection of the council's demand and its previous clandestine atomic
work has fed suspicions in the U.S. and other countries that Tehran is
working to enrich uranium to a purity usable in nuclear weapons. Iran
insists it is only wants lesser-enriched uranium to fuel nuclear reactors
that would generate electricity.
Putin's visit to Tehran, the first such trip by a Kremlin leader since Josef
Stalin attended a 1943 wartime summit with Winston Churchill and Franklin D.
Roosevelt, is being closely watched for any possible shifts in Russia's
carefully hedged stance in the nuclear standoff.
The Russian president underlined his disagreements with Washington last
week, saying he saw no "objective data" to prove Western claims that Iran is
trying to construct nuclear weapons.
Russia, which is building Iran's first nuclear power plant, has resisted the
push by the U.S. and its allies for stronger U.N. sanctions against Tehran
and strongly warned Washington against using force.
"Putin's trip to Tehran is a show of Russia's independence in global
affairs. Putin, who approaches the end of his term, wants to demonstrate
that he wouldn't cave in to the U.S. pressure," said Alexander Pikayev, an
expert on Iran with Russia's Institute for World Economy and International
Relations.
Putin emphasized Monday that he would negotiate in Tehran on behalf of the
five permanent U.N. Security Council members _ United States, Russia, China,
Britain and France _ and Germany, a group that has led efforts to resolve
the stalemate with Tehran.
He said the group "can and must be patient" in dealing with the Iranian
leadership.
"If we have a chance to maintain such direct contact, we will do it
expecting a positive and, I will stress, joint result," Putin said. "Because
Russia has worked and intends to continue to work with partners in Europe
and the United States to achieve a common goal."
In Washington, State Department spokesman Tom Casey said the U.S. government
expected Putin to "convey the concerns shared by all of us about the failure
of Iran to comply with the international community's requirements concerning
its nuclear program."
Putin's schedule called for meetings with hard-line Iranian President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the country's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei. He also
was to participate in a meeting Tuesday of the leaders of nations bordering
the Caspian Sea, which are arguing over division of its oil.
While the Kremlin has shielded Tehran from a U.S. push for a third round of
U.N. sanctions, Iran has voiced annoyance about Moscow's foot-dragging in
building a nuclear power plant in the southern port of Bushehr under a $1
billion contract.
Russia warned early this year that the plant wouldn't be launched this fall
as planned because Iran was slow in making payments. Iranian officials have
angrily denied any payment arrears and accused the Kremlin of caving in to
Western pressure.
Moscow also has ignored Iranian demands to ship fuel for the plant, saying
it would be delivered only six months before the Bushehr plant goes on line.
The launch date has been delayed indefinitely amid the payment dispute.
Any sign by Putin that Russia could quickly complete the power plant would
embolden Iran and further cloud Russia's relations with the West.
But Putin's trip would be important for Iran even if it yielded no
agreements. "It's a break in international isolation, a chance to show that
Iran is an important country," Pikayev, the analyst, told the AP.
Iranian media also emphasized the importance of Putin's trip. "Iran can use
the visit to lobby for getting our nuclear dossier out of the U.N. Security
Council and Russia can strengthen its opposition to the U.S. through
boosting ties with Tehran," the hard-line newspaper Resalat said in an
editorial.
