<http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/articlenews.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-11-16T015926Z_01_N15450918_RTRUKOC_0_UK-NUCLEAR-IRAN-UN.xml&WTmodLoc=HP-C3-World-4> Iran sanctions negotiations stall at U.N. Thu Nov 16, 2006 1:59 AM GMT162
By Irwin Arieff
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Deep divisions between Western nations and Russia have stalled talks on a draft U.N. resolution imposing sanctions on Iran for its nuclear program, U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said on Wednesday.
"We had an exchange of views across the range of issues," Bolton said after a sixth round of talks among six nations. "I don't know that we've accomplished anything I would describe as progress today, but we did talk about a number of issues."
Russian U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin appeared to agree.
"Well there is movement, but is it a progress movement or some other movement, I cannot tell," he said, adding there had been "a rather intense exchange of opinion."
The United States and Europeans want the Security Council to impose sanctions on Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs after it refused to suspend its nuclear enrichment activities, as demanded in an August 31 council resolution.
The West believes Iran's uranium enrichment work is a cover for bomb-making while Tehran says it is for peaceful uses.
A draft resolution drawn up by Britain, France and Germany and backed by Washington demands nations prevent the sale or supply of equipment, technology or financing that would contribute to Iran's nuclear or ballistic missile programs.
Russia, backed by China, has proposed roughly half of the European draft and leaves nations to decide which items Iran can buy.
Senior foreign office officials from the United States, Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia had a telephone conference call on Iran on Wednesday but apparently failed to break the impasse, Churkin said.
"We certainly have to keep meeting here," German U.N. Ambassador Thomas Matussek said, adding: "We did not cover a lot today."
<http://en.rian.ru/world/20061116/55711892.html> Iran ready for IAEA checks if UN gives up nuclear file 20:48 | 16/ 11/ 2006
TEHRAN, November 16 (RIA Novosti) - Tehran is ready to discuss renewed inspections by the United Nations nuclear watchdog if the UN Security Council halts its consideration of the Iranian nuclear file, the country's top nuclear negotiator said Thursday.
Iran insists that its controversial nuclear program is purely aimed at producing electricity, and denies international accusations that it is building an atom bomb.
The International Atomic Energy Agency, which is monitoring the program, handed Iran's nuclear file to the UN Security Council in February over Iran's refusal to halt uranium enrichment, and its restrictions on IAEA inspectors.
"As soon as the IAEA resumes its consideration of the Iranian nuclear program, we will be able to discuss expanding the agency's inspections," Ali Larijani told journalists.
He said Iran's parliament had ordered to cancel IAEA sudden inspections of the country's nuclear facilities and to reduce the number of other inspections when the Iranian nuclear file was transferred to the UN Security Council.
Three European states (France, Germany and Britain) have proposed a new draft UN resolution on sanctions against Iran, which includes banning the sale of missile and nuclear technologies to the country, freezing Tehran's military bank accounts, and imposing visa restrictions on officials linked to the nuclear industry.
Russia, which is building a $1 billion nuclear power plant in southern Iran, supports Tehran's drive for nuclear power, and wants the sanctions softened.
<http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2453802,00.html> November 15, 2006
We have conditions too, say Iran and Syria By Richard Beeston, Diplomatic Editor and Hugh Macleod in Damascus
IRAN and Syria signalled that they were ready to resume dialogue with the United States, but both regimes insisted that the situation in the region would only improve if Washington changed its policies.
Responding to overtures by Tony Blair and American mediators, President Ahmadinejad said that Tehran had always been ready to talk to America if certain conditions were met. "The conditions concern the attitude of the American Government. If they correct their behaviour, we will talk to them like others," he said.
He did not elaborate, but in the past Iran has demanded that the United States unfreeze Iranian assets held by the US Government, withdraw forces from Iraq, drop its support for Israel and stop its efforts to halt Tehran's nuclear programme.
The Iranian leader said that he would explain in an open letter to the American people. But any hopes of a rapprochement with the West seemed doomed. Mr Ahmadinejad repeated his determination to press ahead with uranium enrichment work, which some fear is a cover to make fissile material needed for an atomic bomb.
Mr Ahmadinejad predicted that Iran would soon master the nuclear fuel cycle. "I am very hopeful that we will be able to hold the big celebration of Iran's full nuclearisation in the current year," he said, referring to the Persian calendar year, which ends in March.
The move would put paid to any significant improvement of relations with the US and Britain, who are pushing for sanctions against Iran unless it drops its nuclear ambitions.
Experts on the region suspect there is more room for progress with Syria. Yesterday Tishrin, the government daily newspaper, said: "Syria is ready for dialogue with the United States to achieve security and stability . . . and extends its hands sincerely as always waiting for a response. The ball is in their court."
But Syrian analysts believe that it is Washington and London who need to be "brought in from the cold", not a regime once labelled a central spoke in the "Axis of Evil".
Elias Murad, the Editor of al-Baath newspaper, the mouthpiece of the ruling Baath party, told The Times: "Syria can bring stability to the Middle East, and Bush and Blair now know that. We have good relations with the resistance in Iraq, in Lebanon and in Palestine and we can therefore offer stability."
The question being asked by some of Syria's political classes, however, is, why should we help? Ayman Abdel Nour, an economist and key reformer in the Baath party, said: "What can Britain offer Syria? It has followed America's policy of isolating Syria, but has discovered it did not work. The Gulf States are flush with oil money and have been investing heav-ily in Syria, meaning economic sanctions have not worked."
The US imposed trade sanctions on Syria in 2004 over its alliance with the militant groups Hezbollah and Hamas, over interference in Lebanon and for alleged support for foreign fighters crossing its border to fight US troops in Iraq. -- Yoshie <http://montages.blogspot.com/> <http://mrzine.org> <http://monthlyreview.org/>