[CTRL] Powell delivers stern warning to Russia, Iran
Home - Yahoo! - Help Asia's best news sources. Updated 24 hours a day. Home |Asia | World |Business |Technology |Sport |Entertainment | Newspapers Yahoo! Asia - News World Monday, March 19 11:37 PM SGT Powell delivers stern warning to Russia, Iran WASHINGTON, March 19 (AFP) - US Secretary of State Colin Powell delivered a stern warning to Russia and Iran Monday, putting both nations on notice that the United States was watching their actions closely and would respond should they make moves that could destabilize the Middle East. In an address before the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Powell said Washington would not turn a blind eye to repression by Tehran or arms sales by Moscow to the Islamic Republic. The secretary said while President George W. Bush's administration was reviewing its policy toward Iran, it was troubled by Tehran's continued support for terrorism, opposition to Middle East peace efforts and its treatment of minorities, particularly Jews. "It is apparent that certain aspects of Iranian government behavior ... are of deep concern," Powell said, adding that Iranian Jews had been "unfairly charged and harshly imprisoned" in a series of recent criminal cases. "This is of deep concern to the United States and to the American people, and we will not turn aside and ignore this kind of behavior," he said to enthusiastic applause from the pro-Israel crowd attending the speech. At the same time, Powell said the Bush team was intrigued by recent events in Iran that indicated a resurgence of moderate sentiment against the conservative Islamic government. "We are aware of the intellectual and political foment taking place within Iran," he said. "Things are happening, things are changing and we will continue to watch these developments closely and hopefully." Powell also picked up on heavy criticism of Russia levelled by US officials last week after Moscow announced plans to boost military and nuclear cooperation with Iran. "We are also concerned about Iranian efforts to develop weapons of mass destruction and to increase its conventional military strength," he said, noting that he had raised the issue in meetings with Russian officials, including Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov and national security advisor Sergei Ivanov. "I have gone so far as to raise with senior Russian officials the role that Russia is playing in these dangerous and destabilizing efforts," Powell said. "We will not overlook what Russia is doing to cause this sort of problem." Washington has warned Moscow that it may face US sanctions should it sell advanced conventional weapons or sensitive technology to Tehran. Russia has dismissed the US concerns saying any weapons sales to Iran will be defensive in nature, will not violate non-proliferation agreements and will not affect the balance of power in the Middle East. Home |Asia |World |Business |Technology |Sport |Entertainment |Newspapers Questions or Comments Copyright © 2000 AFP. All rights reserved. All information displayed in this section (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the contents of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presses. Copyright © 1994-2001 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved.
[CTRL] Powell delivers stern warning to Russia, Iran
-Caveat Lector- WJPBR Email News List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Peace at any cost is a Prelude to War! Monday, March 19 11:37 PM SGT Powell delivers stern warning to Russia, Iran WASHINGTON, March 19 (AFP) - US Secretary of State Colin Powell delivered a stern warning to Russia and Iran Monday, putting both nations on notice that the United States was watching their actions closely and would respond should they make moves that could destabilize the Middle East. In an address before the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Powell said Washington would not turn a blind eye to repression by Tehran or arms sales by Moscow to the Islamic Republic. The secretary said while President George W. Bush's administration was reviewing its policy toward Iran, it was troubled by Tehran's continued support for terrorism, opposition to Middle East peace efforts and its treatment of minorities, particularly Jews. "It is apparent that certain aspects of Iranian government behavior ... are of deep concern," Powell said, adding that Iranian Jews had been "unfairly charged and harshly imprisoned" in a series of recent criminal cases. "This is of deep concern to the United States and to the American people, and we will not turn aside and ignore this kind of behavior," he said to enthusiastic applause from the pro-Israel crowd attending the speech. At the same time, Powell said the Bush team was intrigued by recent events in Iran that indicated a resurgence of moderate sentiment against the conservative Islamic government. "We are aware of the intellectual and political foment taking place within Iran," he said. "Things are happening, things are changing and we will continue to watch these developments closely and hopefully." Powell also picked up on heavy criticism of Russia levelled by US officials last week after Moscow announced plans to boost military and nuclear cooperation with Iran. "We are also concerned about Iranian efforts to develop weapons of mass destruction and to increase its conventional military strength," he said, noting that he had raised the issue in meetings with Russian officials, including Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov and national security advisor Sergei Ivanov. "I have gone so far as to raise with senior Russian officials the role that Russia is playing in these dangerous and destabilizing efforts," Powell said. "We will not overlook what Russia is doing to cause this sort of problem." Washington has warned Moscow that it may face US sanctions should it sell advanced conventional weapons or sensitive technology to Tehran. Russia has dismissed the US concerns saying any weapons sales to Iran will be defensive in nature, will not violate non-proliferation agreements and will not affect the balance of power in the Middle East. -- -- *COPYRIGHT NOTICE** In accordance with Title 17 U. S. C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for nonprofit research and educational purposes only.[Ref. http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml ] Want to be on our lists? Write at [EMAIL PROTECTED] for a menu of our lists! A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/"www.ctrl.org/A DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substancenot soap-boxingplease! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright fraudsis used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html"Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]/A http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/"ctrl/A To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
