Links - June 24

Iran dismisses new sanctions on Tehran

The European Union named Iran's largest commercial bank, the chief of the Revolutionary Guards and the head of the country's nuclear program on Tuesday as the targets of new sanctions imposed over Tehran's nuclear defiance.

Iran said Tuesday that it would not be hurt by the sanctions and hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called for a special international court to be formed to punish what he called "tyrants" for their attempts to thwart the nuclear program.

The new measures mark a more assertive move by the Europeans over Iran's nuclear program, which the United States and some of its allies say is intended to produce weapons — a claim Iran denies. But EU officials say they avoided harsher steps to avoid undermining a package of economic incentives aimed at persuading Iran to halt uranium enrichment.

But Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said Tuesday that the "carrot and stick policy" by the 27-nation EU bloc won't stop Iran's "pursuit to realize its nuclear rights."

Hosseini said the new sanctions would only damage European interests in Iran, calling the decision "narrow-minded" in a statement. "It will not help create a suitable atmosphere for a diplomatic solution" to the nuclear dispute, he said.

In his first comments since the EU sanctions were announced Monday, Ahmadinejad told a gathering of judges that "a court should be formed to try and punish all world criminals who invade the rights of the Iranian nation," according to the state IRNA news agency. He did not elaborate on where or how the world powers should be punished for sanctioning Tehran. Ahmadinejad denounced the West for "issuing a verdict" against Iran without taking Iran's side into account.


My comment: At the end of the day, just people who are not involved in any decision making hurt most and these crazy Ayatollahs and Ahmadinejads like, all get away from consequences!



IAEA Chief: Iran Could Have Nukes in 'Six Months'

Mohamed ElBaradei: "If Iran wants to turn to the production of nuclear weapons, it must leave the NPT [Non-Proliferation Treaty], expel the IAEA inspectors, and then it would need at least... six months to one year...

Interviewer: "Excuse me, I would like to clarify this for our viewers. If Iran decides today to expel the IAEA from the country, it will need six months..."

ElBaradei: "Or one year, at least..."

Interviewer:"... to produce [nuclear] weapons?"

ElBaradei: "It would need this period to produce a weapon, and to obtain highly-enriched uranium in sufficient quantities for a single nuclear weapon."




Diplomacy must work
from David Miliband - the British foreign secretary

Behind the regime's tough rhetoric of defiance and nationalism is the knowledge that Iran must not become isolated again. The Iranian people do not enjoy seeing their proud nation in pariah status. The Iranian economy badly needs to be part of the global economy, not cut off from capital, technology and markets.

So we will continue to give Iran that clear and increasingly stark choice about its future - the so-called "dual track" approach. On June 14 we took another step in this. I sent the Foreign Office's political director to Tehran, along with his French, German, Chinese and Russian counterparts and the EU's High Representative, Javier Solana. They were there to give Iran a new offer.

It is not the first offer we have made the Iranians, but it is the most far-reaching. We need a rapid response from Iran.

Part of that offer is actually a willingness to help Iran develop nuclear technology. The Iranian regime tells its people the international community is trying to deny Iran its right to nuclear power. They have turned it into a nationalist issue. But if they were honest with their own people, they would have to say that the opposite is true....

Our aim is clear: We simply want to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. It is not regime change in Tehran. The new deal is also clear. It includes specific proposals to assist Iran to acquire everything it needs for a modern nuclear power industry, including technological and financial assistance, legally binding fuel supply guarantees and cooperation on radioactive waste....

Our offer to Tehran is a further reminder - to the Iranian people, and to the world - that our approach is not just one of isolation and pressure. There is a massive prize for Iran on offer from the international community if Iran is willing to behave like a responsible member of that community. We are determined to balance the tough punitive measures with generous incentives....

As we have once again made clear, Iran has a choice. If it continues to make the wrong choice, then it will not be the international community's policy that has failed, but the Iranian regime's.