Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Iran Says No

Not unexpected. I'm going to guess that the formal response will follow this sentiment exactly.

Iran turned away UN inspectors from an underground site meant to shelter its uranium-enrichment program from attack, diplomats said yesterday, while the country's supreme leader said Tehran will not give up its contentious nuclear technology. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's comments came on the eve of a self-imposed deadline to respond formally to Western incentives aimed at curbing its atomic program, deflating hopes that Iran will accept a UN Security Council demand that it freeze enrichment by Aug. 31 or face the possibility of sanctions.

Iran's unprecedented refusal to allow access to its underground facility at Natanz could seriously hamper UN attempts to ensure Tehran is not trying to produce nuclear weapons, and might violate the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, diplomats and UN officials said.

and
The Islamic republic has promised to formally respond today to an offer of economic and political rewards for it to freeze enrichment and negotiate strengthened monitoring of its nuclear program.

The proposal from six world powers -- the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France, and Germany -- includes promises that the United States and Europe will provide civilian nuclear technology and that Washington will join direct talks with Iran.

But Iran's supreme leader again ruled out an enrichment freeze.

He accused the United States of pressuring Iran despite Tehran's assertions it is not working on nuclear weapons, as Washington and its key allies contend.

Where does the group of 6 go now? I'm pretty much certain that there are no sanctions that will change the Ayatollah's mind. I am betting that the UN will just want to talk more, and no one has any desire to take on any military conflict with them. Considering that Iraq needs to be stabilized, any muscular sanctions against Iran is going to cause an escalation in the meddling by Iran in the sectarian violence. Guess Iran will be joining the nuclear world in a couple of years.

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