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Latest update: 03/08/2008
- Iran - Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - nuclear proliferation - talks
Iran will not retreat 'one iota' on nuclear rights
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declared that Iran would not budge "one iota" from its nuclear rights on Saturday, as an informal deadline set by the West regarding Tehran's nuclear ambitions passed.
TEHRAN, Aug 2 (Reuters) - Iran will not retreat "one iota"
from its nuclear rights, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on
Saturday, the day of an informal deadline set by Western
officials in a row over Tehran's atomic ambitions.
Ahmadinejad made the remark in a statement posted on the
presidential website after talks in Tehran with Syrian President
Bashar al-Assad.
"In whichever negotiation we take part ... it is
unequivocally with the view to the realisation of Iran's nuclear
right, and the Iranian nation would not retreat one iota from
its rights," Ahmadinejad's statement said.
It said Assad said that based on international agreements
every country, including Iran, has the right to engage in
uranium enrichment and possess nuclear power stations.
The West accuses Iran of seeking to build nuclear warheads
under cover of a civilian power programme. Iran, the world's
fourth-largest oil producer, denies the charge.
Western powers gave Iran two weeks from July 19 to respond
to their offer to hold off from imposing more U.N. sanctions on
Iran if Tehran froze any expansion of its nuclear work, to get
preliminary talks started between the two sides.
That would suggest a deadline of Saturday but Iran, which
has repeatedly ruled out curbing its nuclear programme, has
dismissed the idea of having two weeks to reply.
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Comments (2)
Iran and nuclear technology
Good luck to the Iranian government standing firm with it's right to develope nuclear technology. As well as a modern power source Iran should in the absence of general nuclear disarmament also develope nuclear weapons. Recent events in 2003 with the US/UK attack on it's neighbour Iraq and consequent mass death and chaos make the need only too obvious and Iran would be foolish if it did not develope a nuclear response to deter a similar attack. Why should they not defend their own sovereignty in the same way that the US.UK. Israel, and others do? I am sure that neither of these countries would follow orders from unfriendly and often belligerent countries not to strenghen their own defences with the latest nuclear weapons. Treat Iran as outcasts and they will act as such and there will never be peace in this world. Thank god that they have good support from Russia, China and many other civilised people.7
Should only elite countries be authorised to have nuclear energy
I am wondering whether developed countries are afraid that Iran gets nuclear power for its civil use. Western press (US and Europe) and politics did not make the difference very clear at the start. Now, we can see that they do. In one hand, I am worried that Iran gets nuclear power for military use. On the other why can not they be willing to? France, US, Russia (and others) have it. Renewable energy is one of the solution to be less dependent on oil but nuclear is the current solution for mass production of energy. Imagine living in countries where power cuts are usual, I am sure you would be hungry to get nuclear energy. If Iran has the technics and men to master nuclear energy, I do not see the problem. Otherwise, let the AIEA do its job (not the politics. Many - including myself - do not want similar lies as for Irak!).