Iran agrees to give up nuke enrichment program

[Cowperson]

Iran said on Sunday it had submitted a letter to the United Nations’ atomic watchdog agency announcing it would suspend uranium enrichment activities as part of a deal with the EU to avoid possible U.N. Security Council sanctions.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6485378/

Cowperson

[longsuffering]

Well done European Union!!

Nice to see diplomacy can still be used to resolve issues between nations.

[Cowperson]

Originally posted by longsuffering@Nov 14 2004, 10:39 PM
Well done European Union!!

Nice to see diplomacy can still be used to resolve issues between nations.

Unless they've learned the profitable art of black mail from North Korea while stalling for time as they continue to secretly commit to their program.

The North Koreans are insane though. There's a modest difference.

Cowperson

[kermitology]

Originally posted by Cowperson+Nov 14 2004, 05:31 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Cowperson @ Nov 14 2004, 05:31 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-longsuffering@Nov 14 2004, 10:39 PM
Well done European Union!!

Nice to see diplomacy can still be used to resolve issues between nations.

Unless they've learned the profitable art of black mail from North Korea while stalling for time as they continue to secretly commit to their program.

The North Koreans are insane though. There's a modest difference.

Cowperson [/b][/quote]
Wouldn't some argue that the Ahatolla is insane as well?

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally posted by kermitology@Nov 14 2004, 11:41 PM
Wouldn't some argue that the Ahatolla is insane as well?

Yes, but there is a subtle difference between Iran and N.Korea. The North Koreans seriously believe that they are the most powerful country in the world, where as the Iranian leaders don't hold the same illusions. They desperately want to become more powerful, but I think they know where they stand at this particular point.

Although, I think Cow is on to something. I doubt this is the end of Iran's ambitions.

[Cowperson]

Originally posted by FlamesAddiction+Nov 14 2004, 11:49 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (FlamesAddiction @ Nov 14 2004, 11:49 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-kermitology@Nov 14 2004, 11:41 PM
Wouldn't some argue that the Ahatolla is insane as well?

Yes, but there is a subtle difference between Iran and N.Korea. The North Koreans seriously believe that they are the most powerful country in the world, where as the Iranian leaders don't hold the same illusions. They desperately want to become more powerful, but I think they know where they stand at this particular point.

Although, I think Cow is on to something. I doubt this is the end of Iran's ambitions. [/b][/quote]
Iran can be worked with in general if you ask me. I'm skeptical there will be any kind of a military confrontation - directly - with them given their nuclear program appears to many observors to be fairly decentralized. No single surprise raid would likely do the trick ala the Israeli attack on Iraq in the 1980's.

They're probably having too good a time jerking the USA around in Iraq anyway.

Reaching a deal with Europe is smart for them. It probably annoys the USA, it keeps them off the agenda of the UN security council, China is also on side with this and Iran gets the benefit of a warm EU blanket around them. There's not a lot of downside.

Its just an issue of whether or not they keep coming back for more and more ala North Korea. You won't know if that's the case for awhile.

If you were a conspiracy theorist you might wonder if this deal allows Iran to avoid being a nuclear target (since they don't have direct nuclear weapons) but allows them to pass on material and knowledge to surreptitious groups that might use it as an Iranian proxy.

Dangerous times.

Cowperson

[FlamesAddiction]

Well, it was a nice halt while it lasted:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...iran_uranium_dc

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Originally posted by longsuffering@Nov 14 2004, 10:39 PM
Nice to see diplomacy can still be used to resolve issues between nations.

Woooo go diplomacy.....

[Looger]

http://67.15.90.110/article.pl?sid=04/09/22/1422231

iran is deeply paranoid aboot US intentions, and if anyone should be it is them.

http://www.nytimes.com/library/world/midea...-cia-index.html

regime change, eh...

[Looger]

oops, it may have see-sawed again...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4031055.stm

"Washington has been at the forefront of moves to persuade the IAEA to refer the country to the UN Security Council, which has the power to impose sanctions."

y'know, because the US really listens to those security council resolutions...

one wonders with the reduction of tensions between greece and turkey since the moderate islamic heritage party took power in ankara, if both sides of the opposed 1995 alliances (syria, greece, iran vs. turkey and israel) will back down their rhetoric as well. iran certainly has.

i mean, greece and turkey were the two countries that were most recently shooting at each other (NATO exercises 1999 plus whatever has happened since), and the nonappearance of russia's modern mediterranean fleet (which was to include the kursk!) has weakened greece's position, and hence its saber-rattling.

now all we need is some more threatening to come from the white house, to get that nuclear program back on track.

one point though:

iran has been trying to create a full-spectrum nuclear program, one of the benefits of was for a bomb to defend itself / and or assert itself into gulf prominence. it wasn't a crash-course bomb program like pakistan's. there is a subtle difference.