Middle East News
Iran poses 'credibility test' for int'l community: German minister
Oct 8, 2006, 13:35 GMT
Berlin - The international community faces a test of its credibility over how to react to Iran's controversial nuclear programme, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Sunday.
Speaking two days after Germany and other leading powers agreed to consult on sanctions against Tehran, the minister said the Iranian leadership 'needs to realize that its nuclear programme does not have the backing of the international community.'
'We need to act firmly and demonstrate our unity,' he said in an interview with Deutsche Press-Agentur dpa. 'The international community is facing a test of its credibility.'
Germany and the permanent members of the UN Security Council - the US, Britain, Russia, France and China - want Iran to suspend uranium enrichment - a process that can produce weapons-grade fuel.
Iranian ministers say the country has a right to nuclear technology and will not stop its atomic work.
At a meeting in London on Friday, the six nations heard that talks with Tehran on the issue had failed to produce a breakthrough. They then decided to consult on measures under Article 41 of the UN charter, which allows for economic sanctions
Steinmeier defended the decision, but said it did not mean the end of negotiations with Iran.
An offer made in June - allowing Iran to develop a civil nuclear programme while reassuring the international community that it was not building a nuclear weapon - remained on the table, he said.
The foreign minister said nobody wanted a confrontation with Iran, but insisted Tehran had to give a clear and unmistakable sign that it was willing to return to the negotiating table.
'Time is pressing,' he added.
Some Security Council members, primarily the US and Britain, favour the imposition of sanctions while others, especially China and Russia, are eager to allow more time for a diplomatic solution to the impasse.
© 2006 dpa - Deutsche Presse-AgenturCOMMENT
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SOHRABOct 9th, 2006 - 01:55:52
Iran Should Not, nor ever halt enrichment. These countries do not represent any community other than thier own interests, 115 countries were signiotory to Irans right to peacful Nuclear technology, and at present it is Peacful, but Iran wants to maintain the opportunity to develop Nuclear Weaponary if it was attacked.
Any attack on Iran early next year would throw the whole International community(the real one) into turmoil. Iran would simply pull out of the non proliferation treaty and then develop Nuclear weapons. It must be stated that Iran will hold its responsobility with such weaponary, as any other nation, it's main reasoning is as a deterrant, but if the country was attacked and there was no option left, then Iran would not hesitate to use them.
The US and Europe are treading on thin Ice, for the this notion of pre-emptive action is the main block to peace. Iran has at the moment a strong enough army to hold any attack for long enough to develop the weapons, Russia and China will simply watch as the US and Europoe are sucked into a 'Total War' where no limits will be restrained, to the extent that pre-emptive action would certainly be taken on the part of Iran to ensure its development in any war.
It will be important for Iran as the Sole Islamic country able to inflict severe harm on the Wests Interest to win such a war, as the middleast has long been in need of a local Power to ensure Justice and security for the entire region. Most Countries in the region are in harmony with Irans thinking, although some that are puppets of the US will find it increasingly hard to maintain power if they were to not actively support Iran. These countries will through thier media in the interim period try to portray Iran as a'Dangerous' Influence in the region as it has a majority Shia Population. But Iran will be able to overcome this, as the majority of thinkers will understand that a country can be judged by its past, and Iran would certainly come out favourably in this.
The best option for Europe is to pull out of this idea of offering punitive incentives without security guarantess, while supporting Israel who has an 'anonymous' arsenal. Europe should understand that it is not in thier interest to continue with these aggressive International diplomatic follies in such an important period for the security and future of Europe. The US has always been an enemy of Iran as its support for the Dictator Shah after the overthrow of the Democratically elected Government and its support of Iraq during the war in the 80's and its unoquivocal support for Israel(no matter what she does) has made it an enemy of the Iranian people, Europe does not need to make the same mistake as The UK and carry all of the US's baggage into the future. It is in all of our future interest to strengthen a 'true' International community , as the opportunity will be open to bring the US and Israel out from the abyss and back to the 'real' International Community if they are sidelined and frowned upon for thier meglomaniac language of warmongering.
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