The Iranians are "playing" us. Just give us enough to keep the State Department happy and stopping Bush and DOD from doing any more. New York Times
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October 21, 2003
Official Says Iran Will Suspend Production of Enriched Uranium
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Filed at 7:45 a.m. ET
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Iran will suspend uranium enrichment and allow spot checks of its nuclear program, as sought by the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency, a senior Iranian official said Tuesday after talks with the British, French and German foreign ministers. But he gave no timetable for the steps.
The secretary of Iran's powerful Supreme National Security Council, Hasan Rowhani, said Iran would sign an additional protocol to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty that would allow inspectors to enter any site they deem fit without notice.
``The protocol should not threaten our national security, national interests and national pride,'' he told reporters.
He added that for an ``interim period,'' Iran will suspend nuclear enrichment ``to express its goodwill and create a new atmosphere of trust and confidence between Iran and the international community.''
There was no indication of when Iran would suspend its uranium enrichment or sign the additional protocol, and Rowhani did not say how long the interim period would last.
Jack Straw of Britain, Joschka Fischer of Germany and Dominique de Villepin of France were here to press Iran to meet an Oct. 31 deadline set by the International Atomic Energy Agency for proving it does not have a nuclear weapons program.
The United States strongly believes Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons, though Tehran insists its nuclear program aims is designed only for producing energy. Iran has allowed IAEA inspectors to view some sites, including at least one military facility -- but for weeks it has balked at making a full commitment to the IAEA demands.
But Iran is keen to stop the dispute from reaching the Security Council. If Iran fails to satisfy the U.N. nuclear agency, the IAEA is expected to refer the matter to the council, which could impose sanctions on the country.
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