Iran's ex-president calls for "wiser rhetoric" in nuclear dispute

Jan 26, 2007, 10:20 GMT

Tehran - Iran's former president Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani on Friday called on officials to adopt a 'wiser rhetoric' in the course of the nuclear dispute.

'The rhetoric should be adopted in a wiser way as the current situation is anything but normal,' the cleric said at the Friday prayer ceremony in Tehran.

Rafsanjani was referring to the harsh rhetoric used by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad within the context of the nuclear dispute such as terming the United Nations Security Council resolution 1737 as 'just a piece of torn paper.'

Rafsanjani said that while the threats of sanctions and military attacks on Iran may only be psychological war, the nuclear policy should be still be followed in a rational way.

The former president also met Wednesday with British ambassador to Tehran, Geoffrey Adams, saying that that Iran did not seek adventurism and was ready to submit any verifying measures proving the peaceful nature of its nuclear programmes.

Rafsanjani also warned the West not to seek an adventure either, referring to reports of a probable military attack against Iran.

Rafsanjani also said that Iran would be ready to cooperate with the West in returning peace and stability to Afghanistan and Iraq 'if there was a serious will to solve the problems.'

Rafsanjani, together with former reformist president Mohammad Khatami, have succeeded in forming a coalition of reformists and moderate conservatives with the sole aim of confronting the policies of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The coalition gained a major victory in last December's Experts Assembly and municipality elections which was widely regarded as the first setback of Ahmadinejad since his presidency in August 2005.

Local criticism against Ahmadinejad's uncompromising course on the nuclear issue has increased in the recent weeks and even state- television said in a live interview with the president that his policies were widely considered as 'harsh, emotional and unscientific.'

Ahmadinejad however rejected all criticism saying both the state system and nation were decisively pursuing their right to continue the nuclear programmes and would not even be intimidated by United Nations Security Council resolutions.