Iran Ready To Enter 'Serious' Talks
This Tuesday, May 22, 2012, photo, provided by David Thornburg shows a plume of smoke rising from the Whitewater fire burning in the Gila Wilderness east of Glenwood, N.M. Fire managers said the blaze had charred more than 10,000 acres before merging Wednesday afternoon with the nearby 11,500-acre Baldy fire. Both fires were sparked by lightning. (AP Photo/David Thornburg) / David Thornburg
Iran said Tuesday it was ready for "serious negotiations" on its nuclear program, but a semi-official news agency reported the government was unwilling to abandon nuclear enrichment — the key U.S. demand.
Ali Larijani, the country's top nuclear negotiator, delivered a written response to ambassadors of Britain, China, Russia, France, Germany and Switzerland to a package of incentives aimed at persuading Iran to roll back on its nuclear program.
Larijani refused to disclose whether the response included an offer to suspend uranium enrichment, and no details of Iran's response were released. The state-run television quoted Larijani as telling the diplomats Iran "is prepared as of Aug. 23rd to enter serious negotiations" with the countries that proposed the incentives package.
But the semi-official Fars news agency reported that Iran rejected calls to suspend "nuclear activities" — or uranium enrichment — and "instead has offered a new formula to resolve the issues through dialogue."
Administration officials believe that by offering to talk, Iran is playing for time — and trying to give its trading partners Russia and China a good excuse to vote against sanctions in the U.N. Security Council, reports CBS News senior White House correspondent Bill Plante.
Iran delivered its response to the incentives offer nine days before a Security Council deadline for Iran to halt uranium enrichment or face economic and political sanctions.
The White House deferred comment on the Iranian government's response.
"The Security Council's deadline is Aug. 31. I'm not going to parse the Iranian government's document today here on the airplane," White House deputy press secretary Dana Perino said on Air Force One as President Bush flew to an appearance in Minnesota. "That is a job best left to the diplomats."
She said the U.S. government has received a copy of the document, but that she doesn't believe the president had seen it yet.
"We are aware of the rhetoric that has been coming out of the regime about a nuclear program and the president made very clear to everyone yesterday in his press conference that he thinks that that would be a mistake and dangerous for the region and the whole world," she added. "So let's let the diplomats take a look at this response before we parse it out too much here."
The European Union's foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, said the Iranian document was "extensive" and required "a detailed and careful analysis." He did not elaborate or provide any details.
In New York, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, said Washington will "study the Iranian response carefully" but was prepared to move forward with sanctions against Tehran if its response to the incentives package was not positive.
© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Ali Larijani, the country's top nuclear negotiator, delivered a written response to ambassadors of Britain, China, Russia, France, Germany and Switzerland to a package of incentives aimed at persuading Iran to roll back on its nuclear program.
Larijani refused to disclose whether the response included an offer to suspend uranium enrichment, and no details of Iran's response were released. The state-run television quoted Larijani as telling the diplomats Iran "is prepared as of Aug. 23rd to enter serious negotiations" with the countries that proposed the incentives package.
But the semi-official Fars news agency reported that Iran rejected calls to suspend "nuclear activities" — or uranium enrichment — and "instead has offered a new formula to resolve the issues through dialogue."
Administration officials believe that by offering to talk, Iran is playing for time — and trying to give its trading partners Russia and China a good excuse to vote against sanctions in the U.N. Security Council, reports CBS News senior White House correspondent Bill Plante.
Iran delivered its response to the incentives offer nine days before a Security Council deadline for Iran to halt uranium enrichment or face economic and political sanctions.
The White House deferred comment on the Iranian government's response.
"The Security Council's deadline is Aug. 31. I'm not going to parse the Iranian government's document today here on the airplane," White House deputy press secretary Dana Perino said on Air Force One as President Bush flew to an appearance in Minnesota. "That is a job best left to the diplomats."
She said the U.S. government has received a copy of the document, but that she doesn't believe the president had seen it yet.
"We are aware of the rhetoric that has been coming out of the regime about a nuclear program and the president made very clear to everyone yesterday in his press conference that he thinks that that would be a mistake and dangerous for the region and the whole world," she added. "So let's let the diplomats take a look at this response before we parse it out too much here."
The European Union's foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, said the Iranian document was "extensive" and required "a detailed and careful analysis." He did not elaborate or provide any details.
In New York, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, said Washington will "study the Iranian response carefully" but was prepared to move forward with sanctions against Tehran if its response to the incentives package was not positive.
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Not really. In the end "Brute Forc"%u201D decides and that is what this whole thing is about.
Not really. In the end %u201CBrute Force%u201D decides and that is what this whole thing is about.
Not really. In the end %u201CBrute Force%u201D decides and that is what this whole thing is about.
And finally Ronnie, countries that steal oil(oil exports from Iraq to US up 186% IN THE PAST 24 MONTHS) are rightly accused of trying to dominate the oil supply, especially when the same country uses 40% of the worlds production, in my book that is a fair accusation, irrespective of whether the accusing country possesses oil or not. Not hypocritical, its unfortunately factual!
Number 2, i still have a problem with him denying the holocaust, but again what he has said is fair, European jews died in the holocaust, not middle-easterners, what part did Palestine lay in this process? Why i it them that are paying the price? That is fair. However, he still denied a fact, though I think it would be amusing to allow him to send an impartial team to investigate!
So comments aside, as they seem to be used as propaganda, Ronnie says Iranian troops and weapons seem to turn up at random places. May I point out if that statement is not applicable to the US, I dont know what is.
cont....
I don't get the oil thing. Sounds like paranoia. I can say that it makes me a little nauseous to hear countries that dominate the oil supply accuse anyone of trying to dominate the oil supply. That's just plain hypocrisy.
They do not feel threatened by us, and why shoul they, sanctions isn't something new for Iran, Iran knows sanctions will be a bitter blow for Russia, and China and oil prices. The current resolution says, sanctions MAY be applicable, it doesnt say definately applicable or even likely to be applicable, they see our tone as a bullying tactic, and you can bet your bottom dollar that it sure as hell does not cut the mustard in Tehran.
I dont know how many high-IQ employees from the Ivy League the White House currently employs, but you would think and hope one of them will have the common sense to convince somebody higher up the pecking order to change their tone, because our tone illustrates, as usual, we are again interested in confrontation that leads to yet another oil robberry, Iran is having none of it. And rightly so. Lets offer them something worthwhile, and get inspectors in that not only monitor, but dismantle their current capabilities, its a situation that requires tact, not the foolishness that is so typical of our country's political strategy.
This pre-emption against Iran is a deterrent and warning to all terrorist states which try to secretly make nuclear bombs!