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| Europe |
| France Defense Minister: We Surrender to Iran |
| 2006-01-15 |
| Someone send this guy/gal a white flag with cheese. French Defence Minister Michele Alliot-Marie said Sunday talks should be pursued with Iran even though the country was resuming sensitive nuclear activities. 'In a situation like this, there are two options: either we will finally take steps that will isolate the country or we will try as hard as we can to talk to convince and make advances,' Alliot-Marie during an RTL-Le Figaro-LCI radio and television debate. 'If we allow the country to close in, it will also mean that IAEA inspectors will not know what is happening' in Iran, she said referring to the watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency. A spokesman for the French foreign ministry said Friday it was 'premature' to speak of sanctions against Iran for resuming sensitive nuclear activities. Instead it was necessary to 'proceed step by step' after Thursday's meeting of the British, German and French foreign ministers in Berlin. The European group of three had called for an extraordinary meeting of the IAEA board of governors to refer Iran to the UN Security Council. Paris would 'continue consultations' with China, Russia and its European partners on the issue, the spokesman had said. Officials from China, the EU, Russia and the US are to meet over the Iran nuclear crisis in London on Monday. Alliot-Marie said that 'as long as there are a number of points which allow us to believe we can make advances we have to persevere because the day when Iran will be totally closed in we will no longer know what's going on.' She added that Tehran should be given the opportunity to play a role on the world scene, which she said was 'a natural desire for a country like Iran'. Iran said Sunday it was 'not scared' of being hauled before the UN Security Council and warned any sanctions over its disputed nuclear programme could cause an unexpected hike in oil prices. The country this week resumed nuclear research -- involving small-scale enrichment to test centrifuges. It insists this is separate from full-scale uranium enrichment, which remains frozen for the time being. Enrichment can produce reactor fuel but can also be extended to make the core of an atomic weapon. The West fears that if Iran is allowed to master the technology via this research work it would gain the know-how to make a bomb. Britain, France and Germany have for more than two years been trying to convince Iran to voluntarily limit its nuclear activities in exchange for trade and other incentives. But Iran has ruled out any such deal. |
| Posted by:Captain America |
| #9 When someone decides to make themselves irrelevant we should ignore their drivel. The French leadership are working hard at becomming irrelevant. Bypass them and lets get on with removing Iran's nuclear capability. |
| Posted by: 49 Pan 2006-01-15 23:35 |
| #8 Of course they surrender. The French rulers can look at the demographic figures and plainly see the native French will be the minority. They just hope to keep their heads long enough to die of old age. Screw their children. The question is why anyone in the west still considers France an ally. |
| Posted by: ed 2006-01-15 21:56 |
| #7 Iran said Sunday it was 'not scared' of being hauled before the UN Security Council Good, so let's bomb the shit outta them until they're scared. Then we'll talk. |
| Posted by: wxjames 2006-01-15 21:54 |
| #6 French position - as long as they only plan to use nuclear power to either make electricity or nuke Israel, we're OK with it. |
| Posted by: DMFD 2006-01-15 21:37 |
| #5 Dushan, a Troll with uppermost up rearmost |
| Posted by: Captain America 2006-01-15 21:22 |
| #4 Everybody seems to get away with giving the EU bitchslaps and pimp kicks. It seems that the only country that ever tries to truly accommodate those sheep is the US. Which begs the question: Why? |
| Posted by: dushan 2006-01-15 19:34 |
| #3 Get out the Presidential knee-pads for Jacques! |
| Posted by: Brett 2006-01-15 17:24 |
| #2 #1 if we allow the country to close in, it will also mean that IAEA inspectors will not know what is happening' in Iran Reality: "We'd rather know they are building a nuke, than try to stop them." Well worth repeating. Isn't that the theme of the DNC? |
| Posted by: Icerigger 2006-01-15 17:22 |
| #1 if we allow the country to close in, it will also mean that IAEA inspectors will not know what is happening' in Iran Reality: "We'd rather know they are building a nuke, than try to stop them." Its pretyt obvious - why do they say such amazingly stupid things? Don't they realize that knwoing about the nukes doenst mean anything if they buidl the damendthings? They are going to USE it when they build it. Its like telling a rapist to show you his "gun" before he rapes you instead of shooting him to stop him. |
| Posted by: Oldspook 2006-01-15 17:10 |