According to senior Iranian
legislator Esmayeel Kosari:
Western nations recognize Iran's legitimate "nuclear rights, and they
have no way out but to continue negotiati(ing)."
Nonetheless, multiple rounds achieved nothing. Moscow June 18 and 19
talks ended in failure. Washington and Israel are obstructionist. Britain,
France and other Western states agree to policies harming their own
interests.
They demand Iran relinquish rights enjoyed by dozens of other nations
with commercial nuclear programs.
On June 19, The New York Times headlined "Setback in Talks on Iran's
Nuclear Program in a 'Gulf of Mistrust,' " saying:
"Talks on Iran’s disputed nuclear program descended into mistrust and
frustration in Moscow on Tuesday, casting doubt on whether the two sides
can negotiate a way out of the escalating crisis."
European foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said intractable difference
remain. Negotiators didn't commit to more talks. Technical experts will
meet next month. They'll decide if more negotiations are warranted.
Iran wants its legitimate rights respected and all unjust sanctions
removed. They were unjustly imposed in the first place.
Washington and Israel yield nothing. Neither do go along Western partners.
Their intransigence produced deadlock. Their alleged concerns about
Iran's nuclear program is sham cover for longstanding regime change
plans.
Denigrating Tehran's legitimate right to produce nuclear power in accordance
with NPT provisions is a pretext for planned aggression.
An unnamed US official said more sanctions are coming. New ones take
effect July 1. They include an oil embargo and prohibition on insurance
for ships carrying Iranian oil. Others are in prospect.
Lead Iranian negotiator Saeed Jalili said:
Iran's legitimate rights aren't negotiable. "(T)here is no reason or
excuse to have doubt regarding the peaceful aims of Iran's nuclear program."
US intelligence and IAEA inspectors found no reason to doubt him. Yet
harsh criticism continues.
RAND Corporation Iran specialist Alireza Nader believes talks may collapse.
At some point, both sides may conclude that future negotiations are
fruitless. Three failed rounds suggest it.
Western demands are one-sided. Nothing is offered in return. Iran's
legitimate rights are called "defiant." No one would accede to these
terms.
Former senior Middle East White House advisor Dennis Ross called negotiations
a trap. He echoed comments from 44 Republican and Democrat senators.
Their joint statement to Obama urged ending negotiations. They want
tougher steps taken.
Multiple rounds let Iran advance its program, said Ross. Major powers
should scrap its step-by-step approach. Comprehensive demands should
replace it. It could also hasten military confrontation.
Deadlock assures it. Obama wants it. So do Romney and Republican hawks.
Expect it post-November. It's planned. It's coming. It threatens world
peace. It's shocking how indifferent US leaders are to its potential
devastating consequences.
Anti-Iranian propaganda promotes it. So do spurious claims. Institute
for Science and International Security (ISIS) claims Iran has enough
enriched uranium for at least five nuclear bombs.
It also said satellite imagery shows Iran "destroy(ed) evidence" at
its Parchin facility before allowing IAEA inspectors access.
So called evidence suggests buildings were demolished and alleged contaminated
soil was removed. Neither claim holds water. New facilities replace
old ones or expand what previously existed.
Remediating contaminated soil entirely is impossible. Easily detected
residues remain. Nonetheless, ISIS claimed:
Imagery "shows heavy machinery tracks and earth displacement throughout
the site."
Debris from one building was "consolidated into piles."
"There is evidence of earth moving machinery and excavation activity
near the second demolished building north of the building suspected
to contain the high explosive testing chamber."
David Albright heads ISIS. More on him below.
He said "something has taken place (at Panchin), and they are trying
to hide it."
No evidence whatever suggests it. Saying so is spurious. Iran called
his accusations "childish" and "ridiculous."
Allbright added:
"If Iran has nothing to hide, its activities at this site add a further
layer of suspicion and negatively impact efforts to build confidence
in the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program."
A previous article exposed Allbright. It bears repeating.
He heads ISIS. He impersonates a nuclear expert. He's a former pseudo-UN
weapons inspector. Former Iraq chief weapons inspector Scott Ritter
called him a "nuclear expert who never was."
His "track record (reveals) half-baked analyses derived from questionable
sources....He breathes false legitimacy into these factually challenged
stories by" claiming fake credentials.
He founded ISIS. It's self-serving. It shuns truth. He fronts for power,
privilege, and war profiteers. He's part of Washington's anti-Iranian
agenda. In Iraq, he played the same role. He's a pro-imperial opportunist.
In June 1996, he appeared once as as a pseudo-Iraq weapons inspector.
His role was political, not scientific. He observed and regurgitated
what Washington wanted to hear. He's doing it now on Iran. His credibility
is sorely lacking. He has none.
Claiming Iran can produce five bombs is inflammatory and misleading.
All nations with commercial reactors produce enough uranium and plutonium
for bomb-making.
Only a handful, in fact, do it. No evidence suggests Iran is one of
them. Saying so is outrageous.
Israel's been thoroughly briefed on all negotiating rounds. Hawkish
Netanyahu officials said the clock is ticking after failed Moscow talks.
President Shimon Peres said:
"There's not much time. If the Iranians....don't heed the warnings,
the calls and the economic sanctions, the world will look to other options."
Israel is nuclear armed and dangerous. It's a nuclear outlaw. It rejects
NPT provisions. It's not criticized. It stockpiles nuclear weapons and
long-range delivery systems. It threatens humanity. World leaders yawn.
On June 19, a Washington Post editorial headlined "A nuclear impasse
with Iran," saying:
"(I)mpasse....should surprise no one."
"....Iranian envoys continued to resist a proposal for an interim deal
that would stop the most dangerous parts of the program in exchange
for" virtually nothing.
"....Iran countered with maximalist demands for the lifting of sanctions
and recognition of its right to enrich uranium."
Fact check
"Dangerous" is code language for Iran's legitimate rights.
So is "maximalist demands." Dozens of other nations with commercial
nuclear programs have them. Western states don't order them or each
other to relinquish them. Why Iran?
Obama should concede nothing. He "should resist any effort by Russia
or other members of the international coalition to weaken the steps
that Iran must take, or to grant Tehran major sanctions relief for partial
concessions."
He "should continue to reject recognition of an Iranian 'right' to enrich
uranium."
In other words, he should defy international and constitutional law
by spurning Iran's legitimate rights. Post editorial writers stopped
just short of urging war.
Ray Takeyh is a Council on Foreign Relations senior fellow. His June
15 Washington Post op-ed headlined "Negotiating a nuclear bomb."
Despite no evidence suggesting an Iranian military nuclear program,
Takeyh said Tehran's "current path to the bomb is perilous." Its policies
are "defian(t).
Intrusive inspections can't detect everything. "As Iran's nuclear facilities
grow in scope and sophistication, (perfecting) centrifuges that operate
with efficiency at high velocity (then) require(s) only a limited number
of such machines to quickly enrich weapons-grade material."
Operations "can easily be (done) surreptitious(ly to) avoid detection."
Diplomacy won't "resolve the (Iranian) nuclear conundrum...." Severe
restrictions on its program must be imposed.
Takeyh claims that despite Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's repeated opposition
to nuclear weapons development that through "persistence and patience"
he'll produce them.
Military action may follow. Takeyh appears to be one of many Western
stalking horses enlisted to incite it. Doing so ignores global dangers
no one should risk.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.
His new book is titled "How Wall Street Fleeces America: Privatized
Banking, Government Collusion and Class War"
http://www.claritypress.com/Lendman.html
Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge
discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News
Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time
and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy
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