US: Iran Nuclear Deal Will Not Slow UN Sanctions Drive
voa
18-May-2010 (5 comments)

U.S. officials are emphasizing that the nuclear swap agreement will need to be examined by the international community, specifically the International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA.

State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said, "It remains to see, and this is what we will be working through in coming days, what does this actually represent.  There are those who might characterize this as a breakthrough.  I think we remain skeptical that this represents anything fundamentally new."

As for consultations on the nuclear fuel exchange, White House spokesman Gibbs said President Obama has not had any new discussions with his Russian counterpart Dmitri Medvedev or with the leaders of Turkey and Brazil.  State Department spokesman Crowley told reporters said the United States would be talking with Turkey and Brazil in the coming days.

According to the IAEA, the amount of enriched uranium Iran would send to Turkey under the agreement would be a little more than half of Iran's existing stockpile.

The United States and its key allies say Iran's nuclear program is aimed at developing atomic weapons to the region.  Iran's government maintains that its uranium enrichment program is for peaceful purposes only.

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vildemose

IRI's Expired Usefulness

by vildemose on Tue May 18, 2010 07:24 AM PDT

Having the Turkey-brokered swap framework in place is surely an extremely positive step, but this doesn’t seem to actually resolve the disagreement that was leading players such as the U.S. to call for sanctions in the first place, does it? Indeed the U.S. administration does not yet seem to view this as changing things any.


Balatarin
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Darveesh

Obama: my masters in

by Darveesh on Tue May 18, 2010 03:50 PM PDT

Obama: my masters in Tel-Aviv are not happy with me until I bomb you.


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seamorgh

The developments are indeed very sad.

by seamorgh on Tue May 18, 2010 03:41 PM PDT

I am confident that the new round of sanctions on Iran, even if it fails, would have the same effect rejecting the 2003 proposal had; Iran will become convinced that US/Obama is not interested in a change of behaviour but a change in regime. And you all know what that would mean; Iran will become more hostile, less cooperative, and a lot more aggressive on all fronts. From this day on, anybody in Iran supporting a cooperative conciliatory policy is just going to shut up. This is indeed the best gift anyone could have possibly given to the hardliners.


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vildemose

Yes, Bavafa: The real goal

by vildemose on Tue May 18, 2010 08:35 AM PDT

Yes, Bavafa: The real goal is to weaken IRI through sanction as they did with Saadam's regime. I think Obama shortly after extending his hand towards Iran realized that the IRI cannot be trusted given its track record since Carter et al basically installed the morons.

They are in this for a long haul now even after Obama's admin is no longer in office. They want IRI gone with or without Nuclear weapons. This is a war of attrition now. Obama and Hillary have been consistent in conveying that message since day one.

1. Containment with all that it entails, which really means IRI must go via many indirect methods; NO WAR

2. Nuclear Umbrella in case the IRI stupidly decides to develop a few nuclear weapons, which would even further accelerate their demise and weaken their bully power in the ME.

This is a losing battle for IRI now any way you look at it.

 It serves them right for being so myopic and arrogant and above all stupid.


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Bavafa

Doesn't it sort of reminds

by Bavafa on Tue May 18, 2010 08:10 AM PDT

Doesn't it sort of reminds you of pre-Iraq war when the US kept insisting of unfettered access to inspect their sites. When they got that, they said no… unfettered access to their scientist. When they got that, they insisted unfettered access to the wife and sister of the Iraqis. They figured they will keep pushing to the point that they finally going to say no.

Here they are essentially rejecting their own proposal which as of just a couple of weeks ago, was acceptable.

Mehrdad


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