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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Tick, Tick, Tick, Iran threatens to block nuclear checks |
| 2004-09-19 |
| The mullahs love to make it happen. It will be happening in reverse for the bad guys of Tehran, real soon. Long lasting solutions for Iraq being plagued with wave after wave of 'imported' Islamic terrorism, via Iran may soon poise a rather sticky situation Tehran's chief exporters of civilian chaos and economic sabotage for neighbouring Iraq. Currently Iran's does not have difficulties gathering international customers for its exported OPEC crude oil sales, because Iranian waters, ports and petroleum infrastructure are viewed as 'secure'. Iran has also been utilizing enormous petroleum profits to further Islamic jihadic bloodbaths in, Israel, Lebanon, Iraq, Afghanistan, plus to Iran's north in the Trans-Caucasus, among other selected target zones for the spreading of fanatical Islamic warfare. Sometimes reciprocity takes a while to reach the bad guys. The long wait shall soon be over. Our troops will be far better protected from evil. Mark Espinola 9-19-04--------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------- By Agence France Presse (AFP) Monday, September 20th, 2004 TEHRAN: A defiant Iran Sunday rejected a resolution by the UN atomic watchdog calling for a halt to sensitive nuclear work and threatened to block tough inspections if the issue was referred to the Security Council. "Iran will not accept any obligations concerning the suspension of enrichment," Iran's top nuclear official Hassan Rowhani said after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) called for a halt to uranium enrichment-related activities. The IAEA resolution adopted in Vienna Saturday also set a Nov. 25 deadline for a full review of Tehran's nuclear activities. Although Rowhani appeared to reject the resolution, he said Iran could accept a suspension "through negotiations" and if it was a "voluntary decision." But he also warned that the Islamic republic would halt its application of a key safeguards treaty if the nuclear dossier was referred to the UN Security Council, as sought by the United States. The Islamic regime insists its nuclear program is strictly aimed at generating electricity, despite suspicions - particularly in the United States - it is seeking to develop nuclear weapons. Iran signed the additional protocol to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) last December, but parliament has yet to ratify it. The text obliges Iran to accept tougher inspections, including short-notice visits to undeclared facilities. "We are committed to the NPT ... and will continue to voluntarily apply the additional protocol. But we will stop applying the additional protocol if the case is sent to the Security Council," Rowhani warned. Washington said Tehran should respond to the IAEA demands. "I think that the IAEA board of governors sent a very clear message that Iran must cease its pursuit of nuclear weapons and answer questions which the board has raised and suspend its enrichment activity," U.S. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham told reporters in Vienna. "Iran should follow the obligations and cooperate fully with the IAEA. The clock is ticking down now on Iran to the next meeting" of the IAEA board in November, he added. But Rowhani, head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said Iran's hardline parliament could also push for a pull-out from the NPT if the Security Council moved to sanction the country. Iran suspended enrichment in October 2003 as a confidence-building measure, but has continued support activities such as building the centrifuges that refine the uranium. It has also caused alarm by saying that it would be carrying out the first stage of the nuclear fuel cycle, making the uranium gas that is the feed for centrifuges. Fuel cycle work is permitted under the NPT, but Iran has been under pressure to stop because the process of enriching uranium can used to produce fuel for a nuclear reactor or the core of a nuclear bomb. Rowhani accused Europe's "big three" behind Saturday's resolution - Britain, France and Germany - of breaking an accord on Iran's cooperation struck here in October 2003. "The three Europeans have violated the terms of the accord regarding enrichment because the suspension of enrichment was voluntary," he said, without saying if Tehran had abandoned the deal. The Iranian parliament also adopted a harsh tone, saying it would not ratify the additional protocol and describing the IAEA move as "illegal." "The continued defiance of principles by the IAEA's board of governors leaves no room for us to ratify the additional protocol," said a statement read out in parliament. "We the deputies urge the government to seriously follow up with the completion of the fuel cycle program for nuclear plants," it said. The hardline and influential Kayhan daily called for Iran to quit the NPT if the IAEA does not close the case in November. It also accused Iranian officials of "incompetence and naivete" in handling the nuclear dossier. By Siavosh Ghazi, Agence France Presse |
| Posted by:Mark Espinola |
| #2 Zenster, I fully agree. Ditto, ditto and more dittos. |
| Posted by: Mark Espinola 2004-09-19 10:35:19 PM |
| #1 Thank goodness the Iranian mullahs are such morons. If they made even the least attempt to appease the IAEA inspectors they could have nearly unfettered leeway to pursue the covert fabrication of nuclear devices. Fortunately, the eggshell ego of Iran's mullahs perceives any and all external pressure as the most humiliating of threats. The corresponding vehemence and belligerance they display in return would be comical if these lunatics weren't such a threat to regional stability. Instead, Iran's obstinate refusal to cooperate in any form will merely translate into yet another solid reason for UN approval of military intervention. Forthcoming or not, the UN's benediction is really of no consequence. Iran routinely makes it more than clear that they are in dire need of having their nuclear facilities blown off of the map. The only thing I ask is that these sites are hit, air raid shelters and all, during hours of maximum occupancy and activity. We need to exterminate all of Iran's nuclear science community post haste. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2004-09-19 10:04:26 PM |