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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| S. Africa says won't sell uranium to Iran |
| 2004-08-19 |
| Aug. 18, 2004 21:57 South Africa will not assist Iran's nuclear development and will not sell any uranium to the Islamic Republic, the South African Ministry of Defense told The Jerusalem Post Wednesday. Ministry spokesman Sam Mkhwnazi confirmed statements made earlier in the day by South Africa's ambassador to Israel Maj.-Gen Fumanekile (Fumie) Gqiba, who told Army Radio that South Africa will not aid Iran's nuclear program, and will not support any country wishing to develop nuclear weapons. Mkhwnazi and Gqiba were reacting to Israeli media reports Tuesday which claimed that a recent South African-Iranian defense agreement included a sale of uranium to Teheran. South Africa's Defense Minister Patrick "Terror" Lekota and his Iranian counterpart Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani met in Teheran this week to discuss an expansion of mutual cooperation between the two countries, especially in the domain of defense, the Islamic Republic's news agency (IRNA) reported. At the conclusion of the meeting the two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding on bilateral cooperation. On Tuesday night, Israel's Channel 1 TV reported that the understanding included an arrangement for South Africa to sell uranium to Iran. One look at the article's accompanying photograph is enough to set your hair on end. Mkhwnazi rejected the claim. "This can't be correct. South Africa totally gave up its nuclear abilities when the ANC came to power in 1994. We are not going to supply them [Iran] with uranium. That issue was not even discussed in the meeting [between the South African and Iranian defense ministers.]," he told the Post. Mkhwnazi would not comment on the particulars of the Memorandum of Understanding, nor would he say if Iran had made a request to buy uranium from South Africa. Gqiba told Army Radio Wednesday that the two countries had not signed a defense agreement, and that Israeli claims on the issue of uranium sales were the result of a misunderstanding on the part of journalists covering the meeting between South Africa's and Iran's defense ministers. Gqiba added that what was signed was a protocol summing up the defense talks. |
| Posted by:Zenster |