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France Slams 'Uncooperative' Iran over Nuclear Drive
 [An Nahar] La Belle France on Monday lambasted Iran for its continued pursuit of "sensitive" nuclear activities and its "uncooperative attitude" after a critical report from the U.N. nuclear watchdog.The ineffective International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Friday it had "major differences" with Iran and expressed "serious concerns regarding possible military dimensions to Iran's nuclear program." French foreign ministry front man Romain Nadal said the report "stresses Iran's ongoing sensitive activities, in violation of (U.N.) Security Council and IAEA board of governors' resolutions and without any credible civilian purpose." "We strongly condemn the continuation of these sensitive activities and ask Iran to cooperate immediately with the IAEA and the international community," Nadal said. "We strongly deplore Iran's uncooperative attitude, which contradicts the intentions shown in the February 15 letter from (chief nuclear negotiator Saeed) Jalili," to EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, Nadal said. The European Union ...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing... 's top diplomat represents the permanent five U.N. Security Council members -- the United States, Russia, China, La Belle France and Britannia -- plus Germany in talks with Iran. The Iranian letter said Tehran was ready to resume stalled nuclear talks at the "earliest" opportunity as long as the six powers respect its right to peaceful atomic energy. The last round of talks was held in January 2011 in Istanbul. Diplomats to the Vienna-based IAEA are discussing what action the 35-member IAEA board will take at its next regular meeting from March 5. It could pass a resolution condemning Iran and reporting the Islamic republic to the U.N. Security Council, which has already passed four rounds of sanctions calling on Tehran to stop uranium enrichment. Another resolution would depend on Russia and China which have so far been more lenient on Iran that their Western counterparts. Iran denies seeking atomic weapons and insists its nuclear program is for purely civilian purposes. Posted by: Fred 2012-02-28 |
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