At the starting of the week
At summit talks you'll hear them speak
It's only Monday
Negotiations breaking down
See those leaders start to frown
It's sword and gun day
--DJ Shadow
The (soft)power trio of Germany, France and Britain is failing in its bid to keep Iran nuclear free: The enrichment program continues. The Hard power duo of the US and Israel are the guys with the guns standing behind the EU, and that could be an interesting negotiating stance: The EU does the talking while the US/Israel stand in the back brandishing the billy clubs.
EU members: Listen Iran, you can deal with us and we'll cut you some slack with tariffs, etc and maybe some aid or whatever you need. Otherwise, we're going to have a trade embargo, cutting you out of our market. (whispering: Pssst! By the way, the two crazy dudes behind us are going to whip your ass if you keep going the way you are going...I'm just saying.)
Iran: Yeah, I heard something about that.
#1. Problem: the ties that bind make this an unworkable position from EU's point of view. France does huge business with Iran, and to cut off that market to the French would require the policy equivalent of limb amputation. If the EU threatens embargo, Iran would probably laugh. Maybe the EU could work on its poker face.
Iran Rejects Any Deal to End Uranium Enrichment
By Amir Paivar
TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran said on Saturday it would reject any proposal to halt uranium enrichment, a step European Union (news - web sites) diplomats are proposing to end a row over whether Iran is seeking atomic weapons.
EU diplomats have said they are seeking U.S. and Russian support for a deal that would ask Iran to give up uranium enrichment in return for technical and economic assistance.
"Any proposal which deprives Iran of its legitimate right to a fuel cycle is not acceptable," Hossein Mousavian, Iran's head of foreign policy on the Supreme National Security Council, told state television.
However, he said he was not responding to a specific offer.
"We have not yet received the text of the proposal and have to see what it contains to assess it," he said.
Uranium enriched to a low level can be used to fuel nuclear power stations such as one Iran is building at the southern port of Bushehr.
If enriched further it can be used in nuclear warheads. But oil-rich Iran denies accusations from Washington that it has military nuclear ambitions and argues its atomic program is dedicated solely to meeting booming demand for electricity.
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"Western countries want to get our oil then sell us nuclear fuel at tens or hundreds of times more than its price," he added.
That last statement is nonsensical: Nobody wants to sell them nuclear fuel. It is just another reason they should not get the bomb.
1 comment:
Quite agreed.
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