EU promises "generous, bold" Iran nuclear offer

[Iranian Monitor]

To me, this is a trick. To get the Russians and Chinese on board with a resolution under Chapter 7. It is also meant to create internal divisions and dissentions in Iran. Especially to thwart Iran's likely moves to counter any UN resolutions, including possibly withdrawing from the NPT altogether.

If the EU wants to offer Iran a deal, that deal will need to recognize Iran's full rights under the NPT, including as it relates to indigineous nuclear fuel production ("the fuel cycle"). While Iran can accept mechanisms regulating industrial production of nuclear fuel pending a grand bargain that resolves issues of mutual concern and takes away the climate of suspicion, Iran will not halt uranium enrichment based on any vague promises. It certainly won't give up its rights in that regard based on any promises whatsoever.

http://za.today.reuters.com/news/NewsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-05-15T074501Z_01_ALL527898_RTRIDST_0_OZATP-NUCLEAR-IRAN-EU-20060515.XML

EU promises "generous, bold" Iran nuclear offer

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union will make Iran a generous offer of technology, economic and other incentives for Iran to abandon sensitive nuclear activities, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said on Monday.

"It will be a generous package, a bold package that will contain issues related to nuclear, economic matters and maybe if necessary security matters," Solana told reporters before a meeting of EU foreign ministers due to work on the offer.

He gave no details but said the EU wanted to present it to Iran in the coming weeks simultaneously with the approval of a U.N. resolution calling on Tehran to halt enrichment of uranium or face consequences such as sanctions.

Efforts to agree such a resolution last week stalled in the U.N. Security Council amid opposition from Russia and China.

Iran, the world's fourth-largest oil exporter, insists its nuclear plans are purely to make electricity. It affirmed at the weekend it would reject any demand to stop what it calls peaceful nuclear work.

Solana said such statements misunderstood EU policy.

"We have said over and over again that we have nothing against Iran having nuclear capabilities if they are strictly devoted to the production of energy," he said.

But Iranian demands to be allowed to conduct enrichment for research purposes were still "something that at the moment we (the EU) cannot accept", he said.
...

[Scarecrow]

You would think that after 1939 that Europe would know better then to try appeasment.

[Rostam]

Here is what EU has learnt from recent events:

1) Iran has obtained all technical abilities and quite capable of implementing large scale enrichment if, and only if, Iran opted to take that route.

2) Iran could potentially have one or many redundant "super-structures", under military supervsion, that would be many years further ahead from what seems on the surface.

3) Iran has all cards in her favor.

4) EU hopes to buy time till Bush is out of office then work with a new admin based on reason.

5) EU knows Rostam Rocks :)

[Scarecrow]

Here is what EU has learnt from recent events:

1) Iran has obtained all technical abilities and quite capable of implementing large scale enrichment if, and only if, Iran opted to take that route.

2) Iran could potentially have one or many redundant "super-structures", under military supervsion, that would be many years further ahead from what seems on the surface.

3) Iran has all cards in her favor.

4) EU hopes to buy time till Bush is out of office then work with a new admin based on reason.

5) EU knows Rostam Rocks :)

I fail to see your point on number 3. I mean if a shooting war does start, Iran will suffer the most in terms of loss of life, and damage to the country. Iran does not have the ability to strike at the US in the same manner or level that the US can against Iran. So I would not say that all the cards are in Iran's favor.

Point 2 you made is really why much of this situation exists. No one is really sure where and how far Iran has taken their program. That they cannot be trusted is proven here by your point. I will even leave off Iran's continued support of terrorism in the region. The fact that Iran hid their program, and refuses to give full acknowledgement of the entire program is enough to question Iran's motives and real uses of their program.

[Rostam]

"We have said over and over again that we have nothing against Iran having nuclear capabilities if they are strictly devoted to the production of energy," he said.

But Iranian demands to be allowed to conduct enrichment for research purposes were still "something that at the moment we (the EU) cannot accept", he said.
...

I have a problem with the above two paragraphs and the logic: How could Iran have "nuclear capability", based on the first paragraph, while it can NOT conduct research on enrichment based on the second paragraph??

It's time to stop these silly political games, accept the facts and let's move on with new trade agreements, and deploy/delegate Iranian expertise in all areas, an let Iran help ME, Europe and beyond. That's what a real leadership should be looking into, not all this time-wasting nonsense.

[Rostam]

I fail to see your point on number 3. I mean if a shooting war does start, Iran will suffer the most in terms of loss of life, and damage to the country. Iran does not have the ability to strike at the US in the same manner or level that the US can against Iran. So I would not say that all the cards are in Iran's favor.
.
Let's not even get into military confrontation, while not an expert, can surely say that there won't be a winner regardless.


Point 2 you made is really why much of this situation exists. No one is really sure where and how far Iran has taken their program. That they cannot be trusted is proven here by your point. I will even leave off Iran's continued support of terrorism in the region. The fact that Iran hid their program, and refuses to give full acknowledgement of the entire program is enough to question Iran's motives and real uses of their program.

It's a "potential", but the secrecy of the program, if it does exist, would be a carbon copy of how Israel obtained its nuclear capability, with the exception that everybody was looking the other way with regards to Israeli nukes.

[Scarecrow]

Let's not even get into military confrontation, while not an expert, can surely say that there won't be a winner regardless.

I would say that the war would most likely be fought over Iran or in and around Iran thus creating more damage in that region then say elsewhere in the world. For that reason, regardless of the outcome I would say it would hurt Iran.


It's a "potential", but the secrecy of the program, if it does exist, would be a carbon copy of how Israel obtained its nuclear capability, with the exception that everybody was looking the other way with regards to Israeli nukes.
I would submit that the world being a different place then in terms of the Cold War, allowed the US to overlook Israel getting nukes as it was a strategic advantage for the US.

[BenReilly]

It's time to stop these silly political games, accept the facts and let's move on with new trade agreements, and deploy/delegate Iranian expertise in all areas, an let Iran help ME, Europe and beyond.

It just keeps getting better.

http://media.mediabum.com/mb/Lol_Gifs_25.gif

[Rostam]

It just keeps getting better.

http://media.mediabum.com/mb/Lol_Gifs_25.gif

While you laugh by the truckload, history is full of moments like this, where concessions need be made to welcome new players at the table. With new treaties, and economic trade agreements, the scope changes, and we need to think big and global. Iranian mind and its by-product will be in great demand if it is given a chance to share the "market".
One needs to look at the basics and realize that Iran is NOT knocking on anybody's doors asking for an "offer". Iran would be quite happy to go on minding its own business and forget any offers.

[Scarecrow]

While you laugh by the truckload, history is full of moments like this, where concessions need be made to welcome new players at the table. With new treaties, and economic trade agreements, the scope changes, and we need to think big and global. Iranian mind and its by-product will be in great demand if it is given a chance to share the "market".
One needs to look at the basics and realize that Iran is NOT knocking on anybody's doors asking for an "offer". Iran would be quite happy to go on minding its own business and forget any offers.

But part of the problem is Iran and their open support of terrorism. So in essence they are not minding their own business rather they are sticking it into a conflict that does not directly involve them. Just like they accuse the US of.

[fiddlestick]

Iran--Nuclear Welfare Mother