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Rice: Iran's President Is 'Dangerous'

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, coordinating with European allies, called on the United Nations Thursday to confront Iran's "defiance" and demand that Tehran halt its nuclear program. Rice told CBS News in an exclusive interview that Iran's new President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is "dangerous."

The threat of nuclear weapons in the heart of the Middle East took on new urgency this week when Iran boasted that after a two year freeze it was restarting its program at this nuclear facility to create highly enriched uranium, reports CBS News chief White House correspondent John Roberts. It's technology Iran can't be trusted with, Rice said, particularly since Iran's new hardline President has called for Israel to be wiped off the map.

"Well he is certainly an unusual one for president. And yes, I think he's dangerous," Rice told Roberts. "It's dangerous because these are thoughts and words that have consequences."




At a news conference, Rice declined to say whether the United States has the necessary votes at the U.N. Security Council to punish Iran or would even try at this stage.

But she said

and that Tehran was out of step with advances in democracy in the region. And she repeated that she believes there are enough votes for the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. agency that monitors nuclear activity, to refer the issue to the Security Council.

"I don't think it serves anybody's purpose to have a nuclear-armed Iran," Rice said.

Iran still believes the standoff over its nuclear program could be resolved diplomatically, a senior Iranian official said Thursday in a surprisingly mild response to the European decision to push for U.N. Security Council action.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Iran's top nuclear negotiator told him that Tehran is interested in "serious and constructive negotiations" with Britain, France and Germany.

During a 40-minute telephone conversation, he said, Ali Larijani told him Iran wanted to resume negotiations with the Europeans, but this time with a deadline.

"Iran still believes diplomacy could be productive," Supreme National Security Council spokesman, Hossein Entezami, said in a statement broadcast on state television hours after the foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany said they had decided to stop negotiating with Iran and refer the country's nuclear program to the U.N. Security Council.

"Iran pursues its nuclear research activities in the framework of the International Atomic Energy Agency regulations and under the supervision of the agency. So there is no reason for challenging Iran's rights in the field of nuclear fuel," Entezami said.
While Iran frequently denounces the West when it comes under pressure, Entezami avoided aggressive language and urged the Europeans not to challenge the Iranian people's demand for nuclear energy. He said the West would be wrong to lead diplomatic channels to a dead end through "unwise decisions."

A senior Iranian nuclear negotiator, Java Avid, said the Europeans should step back from referring Iran to the U.N. security council. Referral, he told state television, would not change Iran's behavior, but it would lead to a tough response.

"It forces Iran to feel it is in an emergency and it contributes to hardline policies," Avid said.

Rice thinks Iraq should be afraid of a Security Council referral.

"I think we have an Iranian regime that is determined to be on the wrong side of the international community and I think they're gonna have to bear the consequences of that," she told Roberts.

Earlier Thursday in Europe, the British, French and German foreign ministers said Thursday that negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program had reached a "dead end" and the Islamic republic should be referred to the U.N. Security Council.

The action came two days after Iran broke U.N. seals at a uranium enrichment plant and said it was resuming nuclear research after a two-year freeze.

Enriched uranium can be used as a fuel for both nuclear energy and nuclear weapons. Iran says its nuclear program is only for fuel.

In a joint statement, the diplomats cited Iran's "documented record of concealment and deception" and charged that its government seems "intent on turning its back on better relations with the international community."

Iran's move increased worries in the United States and other Western countries that Iran intends to produce nuclear weapons, while Russia, a longtime Iran ally, indicated it could reverse its opposition to bringing Tehran before the Security Council, which could impose sanctions.

Russia and China, both members of the IAEA board that would have to approve referring Iran to the Security Council, have previously opposed the idea.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Russia, the United States, the European Union and China would discuss the issue in London next week.

China on Thursday urged more talks, without saying whether it would back taking Tehran to the Security Council.

China "hopes that all parties concerned can exercise restraint and resolve this within the IAEA framework and through peaceful negotiations," Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said in Beijing. "We firmly believe this serves the interests of all parties concerned."

The Security Council in recent years has moved toward imposing targeted measures — such as arms embargoes against countries and rebel groups, travel bans and asset freezes — that minimally impact the general population. Blanket sanctions imposed on Iraq after its 1990 invasion of Kuwait seriously affected the entire population.

However, enforcement of U.N. sanctions has proven very difficult in many countries.

In the case of Iran, the Security Council likely would increase the pressure gradually, starting with a condemnation and demanding that Iran comply with IAEA decisions. If Iran did not respond positively, Western envoys almost certainly would push for further measures, a code word for sanctions, or at minimum threaten them.

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