EU, Iranian nuclear negotiators to meet

In this photo provided by Turkish Prime Minister's Press Service, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, greets Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili before a meeting in Ankara, Turkey, Sept. 18, 2012. / AP Photo/Yasin Bulbul, Prime Minister's Press Service

(AP) ISTANBUL - Iran urged Western powers to engage in "purposeful" negotiations Tuesday as top EU and Iranian representatives meeting in Istanbul looked for a breakthrough on restarting talks over Tehran's nuclear program.

Pressure to get back to the bargaining table was rising the day after Iran's nuclear chief harshly attacked the integrity of the U.N.'s atomic energy organization and its investigation of allegations Iran is working on nuclear arms. Fereydoun Abbasi's defiant speech to the International Atomic Energy Association was sure to bolster hardline Israeli views that diplomatic efforts and economic penalties have had no effect on Iran, leaving military strikes as the only alternative.

Tuesday's meeting between EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili follows a round of talks in July in which an attempt was made to restart nuclear negotiations between Tehran and six world powers that fizzled in June.

Iran nuke chief: "Saboteurs" may be in U.N. agency

"Negotiations should be purposeful; talks for talks would not be effective," Ramin Mehmanparast, spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday. "We can cross the finish line only when the other side enters the talks with real motivation and strong will to solve the issue."

On Monday, Abbasi told the IAEA's 155-nation general conference that "terrorists and saboteurs" might have infiltrated the agency in an effort to detail his nation's nuclear program, in Tehran's harshest attack on the integrity of the U.N. organization. Abbasi said there were two sabotage attempts on his country's nuclear program.

In Tehran, the director of a private think tank with close links to the government said an agreement between Iran and the Western powers could emerge at the talks.

"An implicit, temporary and gradual deal between the two sides will be made," Amir Mousavi, director of the Center for Strategic Studies and International. "Both the U.S. and other Western countries seek international and regional calm and stability."

[stivgdgy]

The Iranians and the Europeans (and the U.S.) have been engaged in "meaningful" negotiations since 2002 when the cover was blown on the secret Iranian nuclear program.

The Iranians continue to progress rapidly towards atomic weapons while continuing the foot-dragging. George Bush, the present administration and a decade of jawing European appeasers should have stopped this years ago.

I hope the Saudis are stepping up their demands that their Shiite mullah enemies have their radioactive dreams shut down immediately.

[mrjustice1]

Get this Iranian mockery of the diplmatic process addressed properly already!

The Iranian regime is fooling everybody, and its nuke program must be stopped ASAP, and by force if need be. Otherwise the extreme fanatically-religious Iranian Ayatollas intend to precipitate The Apocalypse. in the name of Allah.

[DovBenMen]

Iran is not innocent and righteous in fulfilling its NPT obligations. That is why the UNSC and IAEA have had to focus extra attention on getting Iran back into compliance.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/09/18/uk-iran-sanctions-un-idUKBRE88H18920120918
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wassenaar_Arrangement

The world should remain focused on establishing a credible and Nuclear Weapon Free Middle East.
http://www.nti.org/gsn/article/middle-east-wmd-free-zone-meeting-faces-unclear-fate/
http://shadow.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/09/14/the_only_guarantee_of_a_nuclear_free_iran_a_free_democratic_iran
http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/brmiddleeastnafricara/695.php