Iran: We Won't Give Up Our Nuclear Rights

Ahmadinejad Dismisses Call To Halt Uranium Enrichment Despite Threats Of Further Sanctions

(CBS/AP)  Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad insisted Saturday that Tehran will not give up its "nuclear rights," according to the official Web site of the Iranian leader, in remarks that rebuffed an informal deadline set by the U.N. Security Council's five permanent members and Germany.

Any participation by Iran in international talks on the nuclear issue would "definitely be aimed at reinforcing" those rights, Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying in the report.

The Web site said Ahmadinejad made the remarks during discussions with Syrian President Beshar Assad, who arrived on a two-day visit.

"The Iranian nation will not give up a single iota of its nuclear rights," Ahmadinejad said.

Assad is in Tehran to discuss Iran's controversial uranium enrichment following a request from French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Syria is Iran's closest Arab ally - the two countries have had close relations since 1980, when Syria sided with Persian Iran against Iraq in the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war.

Assad, who has been seeking a more prominent Mideast role for Syria, promised Sarkozy during a visit to France in July to try to persuade Iran to offer proof to the West that it isn't developing nuclear weapons.

Iran's claims that it only wants nuclear technology for the production of energy have failed to quell Western suspicions that it is seeking a pathway to an atomic bomb.

Tehran was given an informal two-week deadline, set July 19 by the Security Council's permanent members plus Germany, to stop expanding uranium enrichment - at least temporarily - in exchange for their commitment to stop seeking new U.N. sanctions.

The deadline expires this weekend.

Ahmadinejad's stance signaled both a failure of Assad's mission and a rejection of the deadline, although the wording indicated he was not ruling out international talks on Iran's nuclear program.

Press Secretary Dana Perino says the U.S. will consult with its allies on the Iranian statement.

Perino, who had earlier warned of "negative consequences" if Iran rejected the United States' offer, said, "It's a shame that Iran does not take us up on our generous incentives package."

Perino's comments came in Kennebunkport, Maine as President Bush spent the weekend at the Bush family's seaside mansion.

CBS News White House Correspondent Peter Maer, who is in Kennebunkport, said Mr. Bush will be briefed on the response.

In several American cities, protests were staged against a possible U.S.-Iran conflict. In New York City, demonstrators braved heavy rain storms to gather in Times Square.

Sara Flounders, national coordinator of the Stop War in Iran coalition, said the anti-war movement's message had gained traction given the costs the Iraq War has imposed upon the U.S. economy.

"This is a nerve that we've really struck," she told CBSNews.com's Ken Lombardi. "The threat of a new war in Iran at a time of economic hardship in the U.S. - and there isn’t even enough to pay for disabled veterans."

Protesters spoke of learning from the recent past.

"I can't believe we're going to make the same mistake and go back to war again," said Jared Oswald. "I don't see how another war is going to cure anything."

But anti-war protesters weren't the only ones in attendance. Counter-demonstrators waved American flags and chanted in support of President Bush and his policies.

"I'm out here because I don't want those hippies and socialists and jihadi types to be perceived as being the only ones who care enough to be out here in the rain," Eric McLaughlin told CBS News.

Meanwhile in Brussels, a European Union official said Saturday that the office of EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana had not yet received an answer from Iran but expected a reply "in the coming days" after the weekend deadline.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, said EU nations and diplomats are not too concerned about Tehran's adherence to the exact deadline - but are keen for Iran to come back with a concrete reply that could form the basis of further negotiations.

Germany's Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier urged Iran to stop playing for time and deliver a "clear answer" to the latest initiative. "Stop dallying," Steinmeier was quoted as saying in an interview with the weekly Der Spiegel that was released Saturday.

Steinmeier said he expected "a clear signal for a mutual freeze: We would freeze our sanctions efforts and Iran the development of its centrifuges." He warned it would be "negligent" for Iran to pass on the opportunity and added that in case of Tehran's refusal, the six nations would consider increasing pressure on Iran "via sanctions."

The Security Council has slapped three sets of sanctions on Iran over its enrichment and reprocessing of uranium, which can produce the ingredients for a bomb but which Tehran insists is for peaceful purposes only.

In Damascus, Syria's official news agency SANA reported on Assad's visit as having affirmed "identical views" of the two countries on "major regional and international" issues. The agency, which is a government mouthpiece, hailed the two nations' rejection of "foreign dictates" and stressed the need for a "timetable for a withdrawal of foreign forces from" Iraq - an allusion to U.S. troops there.

Assad's visit was also to focus on economic ties between Tehran and Damascus that have resulted in over a dozen projects in Syria, worth US$896 million, SANA said, adding that both governments are "seriously seeking to increase the size of joint investments to more than US$3 billion over the next years."

[h5mind]

Reqading the other comments, I realize there will be no peace when citizens blindly believe the word of their government. Since when was patriotism synonymous with subservience? Jeffeson said dissention is the essence of patriotism and for good reason. Your government doe not care about you or your safety. They twist the facts to support their self-serving agenda, and when exposed will lie repeatedly to cover it up. This is true of every government worldwide. Ours has no corner on the maket for sanctimosity, although we have lately become the world''s largest supplier of hypocrisy. "They have set up kings, but not by me: they have made princes, and I knew it not". There is no correlation between government and righteousness, but the opposite certainly seems the norm.

[h5mind]

Iran does not have nuclear weapons any more than Iraq did. This has been confirmed repeatedly by nuclear weapons inspectors. The "nuclear rights" Iran refers to are those rights to civilian nuclear power development under terms of our treaty with them, via which we were to provide technology. The fact is, our government is crudely twisting Iran''s nuclear power program into a nuclear weapons development. And rest assured, no anti-Iran article is complete without repeating their supposed plan to "wipe Israel off the map". Unless you happen to speak Arabic, you wouldn''t know that was a lie too. The said fact is we live under a regime which sees war as a desireable (and highly profitble) means to an end and peace as an impediment to those ends.

[vietnam21]

Yes, I think we continue to talk, talk, talk, talk,talk, talk forever.....for me 1 month that is, either you stop or we bom your as#.

[obama441]

I still say we should try to sit down with those we disagree with and discuss our differences. We have proven repeatesdly that war does not work. We should always be prepared to defens our selves, but who are we to tell other countries what they can and cannot do. We have to stop trying to dictate policy to the world. Posted by patriot12436 at 08:13 AM

[intheshade-2009]

patriot12436 says about Americanboyo, either you have it or you don''t. I think he does. He has the ability to make disingenuous statements about being willing to be drafted. Anybody he disagrees with is a terrorist. Just the kind of person we need to go around the world killing people. He should join the US Army.

[obama441]

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has predicted that Britain, Israel and the United States would eventually disappear from the world like the Egyptian pharaonic kings.

[obama441]

Why do you think the leader of Iran is a lunatic ?Posted by patriot12436..I think you''re a lunatic!! sheessh

[patriot12436]

prometheus41
I think you are not understanding Americanboy0. I thik he feels patriotic towards America and is only stating that he would serve to protect her. Not many have that feeling any more so i would commend him for being this way. I think he was brought up with the right background. It is something instilled from an early age and either you have it or you don''t. I think he does.

[patriot12436]

Americanboyo
That is my point, the more we screw up in the world the more enemies we make. I travel extensively and people from different countries tell me if we quit trying to dictate how the rest of the world lives we would have less enemies and more people with a friendly attitude towards us.We have continuously tried war and proven over and over it is not the solution.

[nincomp]

Don''t forget that it was the US that overthrew the democratic government of Musaddiq and installed the kind Raza Shah on Iran. It''s astonishing that people think Iran should trust the US.

[americanboy0]

intheshade?

are you a terrorist?

[americanboy0]

intheshade!

whos "they" that you talk about the iraqi''s????!!! Saddam hussien governed the country, not the people, thats the *** i n g problem! they don''t know how to take care of thier own country, because they never knew how to!!

we never granted iraqi''s anything, but their freedom, which every human deserves, not permission, not ascention, simply freedom

[intheshade-2009]

americanboy0 questions Iraq''s right to sovereignty and to govern themselves. They have been governing themselves for thousands of years, and they have survived invasion and slaughter by Genghis Khan, Alexander the Great and the British Army. The US Army will soon pass and they will reclaim their natural wealth and sovereignty. They don''t need anybody%u2019s permission or ascension.

[americanboy0]

intheshade..

are you saying that validates his motives?

[intheshade-2009]

The US was able to convince Saddam to disarm, and convince him that if he did disarm that the US would leave him alone. As soon as he did, they invaded his hapless country, hung him and killed over a million of his people and stole all the oil. Don''t you think Iran might have been watching?

[americanboy0]

Intheshade,

the people of iraq have every right to defend their country, if they would step up to the plate and actually do that, we wouldn''t be there, the war in iraq is over, it is simply political reasons now, its now time to shift gears so they can run their own country.

patriot123456

you make a valid point, however the reality of it right now is that we are not isolated, and we do not have an alternative to oil.

when our nation has no dependency on foriegn oil, so many of our problem situations are solved.

no more oil, thats the end of middle eastern governments, and putins regime

[patriot12436]

skyfive
Which dictator are you referring to, ours or someone elses ?

[patriot12436]

bebold09
Why do you think the leader of Iran is a lunatic ? They had to overthrow the shah who was our puppett. We have given them no reason to trust us or want to be friends with us. We just invaded and destroyed their neighbor Iraq. If i were them i would also be apprehensive of what we might plan to do to them and prepare for a defense in such a case. I think we need to reevaluate our political positions and try to negotiate a opeaceful agreement between he two countries. They represent no threat to us.

[intheshade-2009]

americanboy0, you say you are willing to be drafted, knowing full well that we dont have a draft. Sounds like a blow hard making an empty statement. Dont wait to be drafted, sign up now and go over to Iraq and convince those people they have no right to defend their country. It is your duty.

[patriot12436]

shazam
You state you are patriotic, yet you seem hostlie towards the U.S. Can you clarify what you believe is right. I think our govt has made some very serious mistakes and we need to correct them and change how we perceive a lot of things but my loyalty still lies with my country. Bush is visiting Thailand in two more days. I plan to stay as far away from him as i can while he is here. As the most hated president in history it will make Bangkok a place of chaos and i don''t want to be around if someone tries to kill him. Bulletts are indescriminate.