Speaking ahead of high profile weekend talks with the P5+1, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad insisted that Iran would “not retreat an iota” in asserting its rights to a civilian nuclear program, saying that the “harshest pressure” won’t change their position.
Generally speaking, Ahmadinejad’s influence on Iranian policy is fairly weak, particularly after a blistering defeat for his bloc in the last parliament elections. On the nuclear issue, however, he seems roughly in line with the rest of the nation’s leadership, with the civilian energy program remaining a top priority for the country.
Iran’s position is in line with its rights as a signatory to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT) and an IAEA member, but far from the US position, which at least publicly is demanding that Iran unconditionally abandon its entire program, and surrender all of its nuclear fuel to the West.
With the two sides so far apart, and with reports that the US has an “understanding” with Israel on not budging on certain demands, there appears to be very little room for compromise between the two sides, and the White House today indicated it is looking beyond the meeting to impose more sanctions on Iran after its inevitable failure.
Concerning Iran's nuclear reactors: I was recently diagnosed as having prostate cancer. Part of the examination involved a gamma ray scan using Technetium 99. This is a normal procedure here in France, and took only a bit of an hour.
However, the Tc99 is made from another element that is treated in a nuclear reactor. No reactor, no Tc99. Iran has been insisting its nuclear programme is both for energy, but also medical reasons. So all these sanctions the US/Israel bloc insist on actually affect people who need special medical treatments. These are not atomic bombs, these are for saving people's lives.
Do I feel a certain lack of humanity in the sanctions?
frank ludwig grossmann
When is Iran going to announce that it will no longer discuss any nuclear issues until Israel signs the very same protocols it has signed on to? When will this issue EVER make it to the media? If Joe the Plumber is so concerned about fair play and honesty and transparency and coming clean about nuclear weapons, why oh why doesn't he look at Israel with an objective eye? If Americans are so concerned about being stand-up guys, why don't they insist Israel does the same?
AMERICA!! WHY ARE YOU SO AFRAID OF ISRAEL?