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Politics : Stockman Scott's Political Debate Porch -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: T L Comiskey who wrote (20744)	6/20/2003 7:31:03 PM
From: T L Comiskey	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 89467

US Says Reserves Right of Military Action on Iran Fri Jun 20, 3:18 PM ET Add World - Reuters to My Yahoo! By Carol Giacomo and Paul Hughes WASHINGTON/TEHRAN (Reuters) - A top U.S. official said Friday Washington reserved the right to use military action to stop Iran making nuclear weapons, but Tehran accused the United States of waging a baseless propaganda war. Reuters Photo Reuters Photo Slideshow: Iran In a further sign of heightened tensions, a senior Iranian cleric warned Washington not to treat Iran like Afghanistan (news - web sites) or Iraq (news - web sites) and urged courts to impose death sentences on "hooligans" who have staged days of protests against Islamic clerical rule. Although the protests in Iran seemed to fizzle out overnight amid a heavy security presence, two Iranians set themselves ablaze in London Friday over France's arrest of Iranian opposition leaders. A 44-year-old Iranian woman who set herself ablaze in Paris Wednesday later died from her burns. The French have labeled the opposition People's Mujahideen a dangerous fanatical cult. John Bolton, a leading member of President Bush (news - web sites)'s administration, stressed military action against Iran was one among an array of possibilities and relatively low down the agenda. "The president has repeatedly said that all options are on the table, but (military action) is not only not our preference. It is far, far from our minds," Bolton told the BBC. But when pressed on the issue, the undersecretary of state for arms control and international security said: "It has to be an option." In Amman, U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Richard Lugar said: "My own viewpoint is that our president ... (has) emphasized the diplomatic route." Washington seized on a statement by the U.N. nuclear watchdog Thursday criticizing what it said was Iran's failure to comply with agreements designed to prevent the use of civilian nuclear resources to make atomic weapons. The United States has demanded that Iran, sandwiched between Iraq and Afghanistan where U.S. forces now have a strong foothold, must abide by a nuclear nonproliferation treaty and sign a new protocol that would allow snap inspections. Bush branded Iran part of an "axis of evil" along with North Korea (news - web sites) and Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s Iraq over suspected weapons of mass destruction and alleged support for terrorism. Tehran says its nuclear program is designed for electricity and denies the terrorism charge. IRAN ACCUSES US OF PROPAGANDA Iran Friday welcomed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) statement on its nuclear activities and said the United States had failed in its efforts to secure a tough resolution against the Islamic republic. "America has carried out extensive propaganda ... and (Iran's) presentation of enough proofs and documents caused their failure," said Iranian atomic head Gholamreza Aghazadeh, adding that Iran was cooperating with U.N. inspectors. The IAEA statement fell short of the damning resolution the United States had originally sought. In Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin (news - web sites), whose country is helping Iran with its nuclear program, said he had been personally assured by Iranian President Mohammad Khatami (news - web sites) two days ago that Tehran had no plans to develop nuclear weapons. At a summit in Porto Carras, Greece, European Union (news - web sites) leaders also weighed in against Iran over its nuclear program and warned of possible trade ramifications for Tehran. A draft statement urged Iran to accept no-notice intrusive checks of nuclear facilities. Protests in Iran against the clerical establishment appeared to have ended Friday with no reports of demonstrators gathering in the capital for a 10th night despite strong U.S. support for the protesters. "American leaders' remarks show you have baseless thoughts and dreams about Iran. ... Don't think Iran is Afghanistan or Iraq that you can enter by force," said Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi, a member of the Guardian Council constitutional watchdog. Worshipers chanted "Death to America" as Yazdi's sermon was broadcast live on state radio. Yazdi said the some 300 arrested in the protests were "rioters" and "hooligans" and that the judiciary should "confront them as people who wage war on God." The loose term "waging war on God," a charge leveled at political dissidents in the past, carries the death penalty in Iran.