http://www.timesofoman.com/newsdetails.asp?newsid=35265
Iran sets list of conditions >From correspondents in Vienna, Austria September 12, 2006 05:52am Article from: Agence France-Presse IRAN has set a list of conditions, including no UN actions against Tehran, in offering to consider a two-month suspension of uranium enrichment, a Western diplomat said today. In giving details of a closed-door meeting between top Iranian nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani and European foreign policy chief Javier Solana last weekend in Vienna, the diplomat said Iran "had a long list (of conditions) including (a) complete and total halt in activity at the UN Security Council, an absolute stepping down from going for sanctions and that Iran would have the right to nuclear fuel technology on its soil". "In return for this, Larijani said the Iranians would consider, consider not actually carry out, a two-month halt in enrichment. It was all very conditional," the diplomat said, in relating a briefing from Mr Solana. The Iranian offer first revealed yesterday had raised hopes of a breakthrough in the international standoff over Iran's nuclear ambitions but the diplomat said that Mr Larijani's conditions dashed these hopes. The conditions are "unacceptable" to the six world powers offering Iran talks on a package of trade and other benefits because they would guarantee Tehran the right to sensitive nuclear fuel work and protect it from any punitive UN action, said the diplomat, who asked to remain anonymous due to the confidentiality of the information. Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States want a full and unconditional suspension of uranium enrichment to start the negotiations, the diplomat said. Enrichment is the strategic process which makes nuclear reactor fuel but also atom bomb material. "There was not any new offer on the table from the Iranians. It was all incredibly conditional and all temporary," the diplomat said, adding that the suspension would come before negotiations. The details on the Larijani-Solana talks come with the United States warning today at a meeting of the watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna that it is still seeking sanctions against Tehran. Gregory Schulte, US ambassador to the IAEA, said Washington welcomed "progress" made in the Larijani-Solana talks at the weekend in Vienna but that as long as Iran has failed to suspend uranium enrichment "we will be looking to move forward in the (United Nations) Security Council with the sanctions regime". Mr Schulte told reporters today that if Iran did suspend enrichment this would have to be "not for one or two months" but for "as long as negotiations proceed" and without preconditions. The six nations threaten UN sanctions if Tehran does not comply. Iran refuses, however, to suspend enrichment and defied a UN Security Council August 31 deadline for it to freeze the strategic nuclear fuel work. The diplomat said: "The condition laid out in 1696 (the Council resolution setting the deadline) is really a simple one, a sign of good faith to stop their enrichment." An EU diplomat confirmed that Mr Larijani had made the offer to Mr Solana yesterday in Vienna. "He offered a two-month suspension but there were no details and it was not clear when it would start," the diplomat said. But Ali Asghar Soltanieh, the Iranian ambassador to the UN nuclear watchdog in Vienna, denied that Mr Larijani had said this. Mr Schulte said that if Iran did suspend enrichment this would have to be "not for one or two months" but that the "suspension needs to be in place as long as negotiations proceed". Mr Solana and Mr Larijani said yesterday they had made progress in last-ditch talks to avert UN sanctions and would meet again this week. Mr Solana and Mr Larijani were believed to be trying to find a face-saving deal. Diplomats said the formula for a compromise revolved around whether an enrichment suspension would start before, during or after negotiations and how long it would last. IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei said today that negotiation remains the "best option to find a durable solution" to the Iranian nuclear crisis. But he said: "The window of opportunity however is not very long." [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: osint@yahoogroups.com Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. 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