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Iran has "legitimate right" to nuclear technology, Kharazi says
WASHINGTON - Iran has a "legitimate right" to nuclear technology and has no plans to permanently halt uranium enrichment, Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi told Time magazine.
Comes as a surprise, huh?
Kharazi's comments in an interview with Time, published on Sunday, but conducted last week, supported repeated comments from Tehran that it will resume uranium enrichment work if an agreement is not reached with the European Union.

Asked if there were any circumstances that could lead to a permanent freeze on uranium enrichment, Kharazi replied: "There will not be any permanent freeze, because (it) is our legitimate right to have this (nuclear) technology and produce what we need for the country. No incentive can substitute for our legitimate right."

The clerical regime has voiced frustration over its negotiations with the three weak European states, who have offered a package of bribes incentives in return for "objective guarantees" from Iran that it will not develop weapons. "Our engagement with the European side was not to stop enrichment but to continue with enrichment in a manner that would assure the other side that we would not divert material for weapons," Kharazi told Time.

Asked about the possibility of UN sanctions, the minister replied: "If for political reasons, the Americans want to push an Iranian foreign policy to the Security Council ... I dont think that would lead to any result that would be wished by the Americans."

He added that Iran was used to sanctions, and that it had managed to exist under such measures. "Americans make allegations that Iran is pursuing a nuclear-weapons program without being able to prove it."

Quizzed about media reports that pilotless US drones have conducted overflights of Iranian soil, Kharazi replied: "There are such rumors. If true, it proves that the US is violating our sovereignty. And it certainly cannot be tolerated."
"Why, we'll send a flight of our F-14 Tomcats and ... um, ... oh never mind."
On the topic of Al Qaeda, Kharazi said Iran had taken some Al Qaeda operatives into custody, but he did not identify how many operatives Tehran was holding or divulge any identities. "There are a bunch of them (in Iran). They are in custody, and certainly we will take care of them."
Food and drink are on the house, eh?
He added that Tehran was firmly against the establishment of permanent US military bases in neighboring Iraq. "We are against that. That scares the beJeebus out of us is not in the interest of anyone," Kharazi said.
Posted by: Steve White 2005-05-09
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=118720