Jedd Corpse
07-04-2008, 04:40 AM
Iran warms to freeze-for-freeze plan
By Gareth Porter
WASHINGTON - A senior Iranian official reportedly told members of the Iranian parliament on Monday that Iran had agreed to freeze its enrichment program for six weeks and begin negotiations with the "Iran Six" group of states as early as next week, according to reports of that decision by the Iranian Student News Agency (ISNA) and by a Farsi-language website in Iran.
But Mottaki, in remarks at a luncheon meeting with reporters at the Iranian mission in New York, suggested that the Iranians might be prepared to go further.
Mottaki said that there were sufficient commonalities between the Solana proposal on behalf of the "Iran Six" and Iran's own proposals for negotiations to provide the basis for talks. That remark, paralleling the unattributed view reported by ISNA on Monday, suggested that Iran was preparing to enter into substantive negotiations. Furthermore, Mottaki failed to repeat the standard Iranian statement that enrichment was Iran's legitimate right, even though he was repeatedly questioned on the point.
Further indicating an Iranian desire to take advantage of any diplomatic opening in a period of rising threat from Washington and Tel Aviv, Ali Akbar Velyati, a top foreign policy adviser to Khamenei, said, "Americans wanted Iran not to accept Solana. Therefore our interests imply that we should embrace Solana."
http://atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/JG04Ak02.html
Cut and paste job, so read article.
If this indeed happens, then Iran will be taking a HUGE step towards appeasing the international community. My distrust of the Bush Administration makes me feel that the rhetoric will shift to some other Iranian issue, like Human rights or something similar.
Would this be enough to hold Bush and Cheney back until a new president is sworn in?
By Gareth Porter
WASHINGTON - A senior Iranian official reportedly told members of the Iranian parliament on Monday that Iran had agreed to freeze its enrichment program for six weeks and begin negotiations with the "Iran Six" group of states as early as next week, according to reports of that decision by the Iranian Student News Agency (ISNA) and by a Farsi-language website in Iran.
But Mottaki, in remarks at a luncheon meeting with reporters at the Iranian mission in New York, suggested that the Iranians might be prepared to go further.
Mottaki said that there were sufficient commonalities between the Solana proposal on behalf of the "Iran Six" and Iran's own proposals for negotiations to provide the basis for talks. That remark, paralleling the unattributed view reported by ISNA on Monday, suggested that Iran was preparing to enter into substantive negotiations. Furthermore, Mottaki failed to repeat the standard Iranian statement that enrichment was Iran's legitimate right, even though he was repeatedly questioned on the point.
Further indicating an Iranian desire to take advantage of any diplomatic opening in a period of rising threat from Washington and Tel Aviv, Ali Akbar Velyati, a top foreign policy adviser to Khamenei, said, "Americans wanted Iran not to accept Solana. Therefore our interests imply that we should embrace Solana."
http://atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/JG04Ak02.html
Cut and paste job, so read article.
If this indeed happens, then Iran will be taking a HUGE step towards appeasing the international community. My distrust of the Bush Administration makes me feel that the rhetoric will shift to some other Iranian issue, like Human rights or something similar.
Would this be enough to hold Bush and Cheney back until a new president is sworn in?