Wednesday, August 23, 2006

TALKS URGED ON IRAN NUCLEAR ISSUE!

Western powers suspect Iran is trying to produce a nuclear bomb. China and Russia have said negotiations are the only way of easing tension over Iran's nuclear programme, following Tehran's offer of talks on the issue.
Beijing said it hoped all parties would show calm, patience and flexibility so that negotiations may be resumed.
Iran has offered "serious talks" with six world powers in response to a UN demand that it stop enriching uranium.
It has until September to suspend enrichment or risk sanctions amid fears that it is building a nuclear bomb.
Tehran denies it is building a bomb and maintains it has a right to civilian nuclear technology.
The US, UK, Russia, China, France and Germany have offered Iran a package of incentives - including help with civilian nuclear technology - in exchange for suspending enrichment.
Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, said on Tuesday that his country was ready for "serious talks" on the issue - but did not give any more details of its response to the offer.
A Chinese foreign ministry statement said Beijing was "carefully studying" Iran's reply.

Iran's leaders insist the nuclear programme has a civilian purpose.
"China has always believed that seeking a peaceful resolution of the Iranian nuclear issue through diplomatic talks is the best choice and in the interests of all parties concerned," the ministry said.
Russia echoed the Chinese stance, stressing its commitment to a negotiated solution to the crisis over Iran's nuclear programme.
Russia will continue "seeking a political, negotiated settlement concerning Iran's nuclear programme," Interfax news agency quotes a Russian foreign ministry spokesman as saying.
Sanctions threat
Although Mr Larijani has spoken of "serious talks", what the Security Council needs to know is whether Iran is willing to suspend uranium enrichment by 31 August or not, says the BBC News website's world affairs correspondent, Paul Reynolds.
While the U.S. has been playing poker in the region, Iran has been playing chess -Nadim ShehadiChatham House expert.

Iran 'boosted' by US-led wars

If it is not, or gives no clear response on this, the US and its allies will take it as a "no" and will press for sanctions, though these would need a separate council decision, our correspondent adds.
Iranian officials had previously said the response would address ambiguities over its right to nuclear technology.
Enriched uranium is used as fuel for nuclear reactors, but highly enriched uranium can also be used to make nuclear bombs.
Iran points out that as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) it is entitled to a nuclear power programme and says it has broken no rule.
But the Western powers accuse Iran of concealing an enrichment programme, and Washington has refused to rule out military action.

Meanwhile, a report by UK-based think tank Chatham House says Iran can afford to continue equivocating in the dispute over its nuclear programme because of its regional supremacy.
"The US-driven agenda for confronting Iran is severely compromised by the confident ease with which Iran sits in the region," the report says.
The report argues that Iran has emerged as the biggest beneficiary of the US-led "war on terror" in the Middle East.
Recent US-led wars have "eliminated two of Iran's regional rival governments - the Taleban in Afghanistan and the Saddam's Hussein regime in Iraq in April 2003".
The report says the US "has failed to replace either with coherent and stable political structures".
Iran wields more influence than the US in Iraq, the report said, and is also "a prominent presence" in Afghanistan.

BBC NEWS REPORT.

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