2010 Complete Election Coverage: Exclusive: Iran offers nuke fuel deal
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- It has been suggested that NSC nuclear czar Gary Samore and his shop and the U.S. mission to the IAEA in Vienna would be best placed to handle talks about a deal. AP Photo
POLITICO 44
There are signs that negotiations with Iran over a nuclear fuel swap have resumed despite the expiration of the end-of-year deadline for a deal set by President Barack Obama.
While the Obama administration has stepped up talk of expanding sanctions on the regime’s Revolutionary Guards Corps, Iranian news reports and U.S. official sources say that Iran has recently returned a formal counter offer to swap low enriched uranium, or LEU, in exchange for nuclear fuel cells produced in the West.
The proposal comes as Iranian news reports say that the Iranian foreign ministry has announced that it is giving the international community two months to consider its fuel swap proposal before undertaking the higher enrichment for its nuclear medical program itself.
A U.S. nonproliferation hand confirmed Sunday that Iran had offered a formal response in late December or early January. While the Iranian fuel-swap response was said to have been conveyed by the highest levels of the Iranian government, U.S. officials contacted Sunday gave no public indication that they have any interest in the counter-offer.
“The Iranians have been saying different things for weeks, but what matters is whether they will accept the IAEA's proposed TRR deal, which they agreed to in principle on October 1 but then walked away from,” an administration official said. “They know what they need to do to satisfy the international communities concerns and to date they have not done so.”
The Tehran Research Reactor proposal, or TRR, calls on Iran to immediately send 1,200 kg of its LEU to Russia, and France would in return supply Iran with nuclear fuel cells for medical use. The plan would have left Iran without enough fissile material to enrich for use in a nuclear weapon, putting time back on the clock for international negotiations on the nation’s nuclear program.
Iran’s counter-offer also proposes sending the 1,200 kg abroad – probably to Turkey – but in batches, starting with a first shipment of 400 kg. The offer seems to establish Iran’s willingness to export the LEU out of the country, which would satisfy a key Western condition.
“My understanding is that they [U.S. officials] have not given up on the TRR deal,” one Washington Iran hand said on condition of anonymity Sunday. “They need it. So if there was a chance of salvaging something …. They still want to get a deal.”
“As long as under no situation over the next year there is enough LEU to produce a bomb, whether Iran ships out the fuel in one, two or three batches, is just a logistical issue,” he said.
NSC nuclear czar Gary Samore and his shop and the U.S. mission to the IAEA in Vienna would be best placed to handle talks about a deal, it was suggested.
One source told POLITICO that an agreement between Iran and the “P5+1” - as the group composed of China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and the U.S. is known - could be announced in “the very near future.”
While Iranian negotiators tentatively approved the TRR deal in October, the proposal came under fire in the Iranian parliament, and Iran hadn’t until now formally replied to the offer.
Readers' Comments (33)
liberal_defender_of_... Party: Democrat
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Jan. 10, 2010 - 8:17 PM EST
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FUBO Party: Conservative
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skint Party: Independent
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apostle14 Party: Independent
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Krazeehors Party: Libertarian
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J. E. Dundee Party: NA
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Jan. 10, 2010 - 11:26 PM EST
A strong case can be made for imposing sanctions on Israel rather than Iran. Israel has hundreds of nuclear weapons, and its clandestine program has never been under UN oversight. Israel even jailed in solitary confinement Israeli nuclear technician Mordechai Vanunu who blew the whistle on the covert nuclear weapons program.
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Read all 33 comments in our forumIf this goes through this will be a pretty good first step over there.
Yes they have ignored the koran teachings that we are infidels and the great satan.
They just want to repair relations and sit down to Coke and Coors with us......
After all those CoExist bumper stickers it worked..........
Who do you think will come back with the signed deal from the despot?
The problem with Turkey and Iran is that they're like brothers.
They both hate the Kurds.
Turkey has plans to provide Iran with Gas, something that the Americans have as a weapon over Irans head.
If we helped with the reveloution with the citizens of Iran and let them know we would support them without running like a scared mouse that might help a bit.
Iran can't be trusted and lets hope everyone keeps an eye on their underground activities.
Another non-issue trying to be hyped up by the out of power neocons. Iran has a right to process uranium under the NPT and they are doing so. Just like with Iraq you as asking them to prove a negative - something which is impossible. But then P5(really P3)+Germany is telling them to prove the negative (something which cannot be done) they need to ship out 1200 kg of uranium which is rightfully theirs- which is flat out tom foolery. All shipping out 1200kg of uranium means is that they shipped out 1200 kgs of uranium. If Iran is trying to build a bomb the fact that they shipped out 1200 kg of uranium doesn't prove they're not trying to build a bomb.
All that's going on here is the U.S. is once again trying to start S*** with another country. Real Conservatism at work (sarcasm)
$50 says Iran withdraws offer by noon Wednesday.
Delay, delay, delay.. Pacify, pacify, pacify... The last "actions" the world took before Iran set off a nuclear weapon in Israel or Europe.
Obama is either completely naive / incompetent, or he wants Iran to have a nuclear weapon.
Hmmm... I'm putting my $ on him wanting Iran to have nuclear weapons.
$50 says Iran withdraws offer by noon Wednesday.
Delay, delay, delay.. Pacify, pacify, pacify... The last "actions" the world took before Iran set off a nuclear weapon in Israel or Europe.
Obama is either completely naive / incompetent, or he wants Iran to have a nuclear weapon.
Hmmm... I'm putting my $ on him wanting Iran to have nuclear weapons.
This is absolutely unconscionable and Obama knows it.
You know,Apostle, when you started razzing me the other day, I thought you were an uneducated fool. Now, you have opened your mouth and removed all doubt.
Yes, Iran may have enough uranium to produce a nuclear bomb, but have you forgotten that they want to use any bomb they produce on Israel?? Are you not aware that North Korea agreed to stop producing weapons grade plutonium as long as they got aid from the countries they negotiated with only to announce the restarting of their uranium program as soon as Bush was out of office, as soon as they ran out of money given by these other countries?? Do you not realize what a dangerous situation this is? Or that Iran cannot be trusted and that they are probably enriching uranium in secret? OR that Iran is now looking to sue countries that invaded that country in WWII for damages as well as looking for compensation for WWI issues also??
You are, in my opinion, nothing but a bible thumper and my granddaughter probably knows more about the Bible than you do. She is 4 BTW.
So write back, call me an idiot, a teabagger, stupid, etc. At least I know the truth of Jesus Christ with a well-rounded education in the Old Testament as well. He knows who the false prophets are. I'm betting you are on that list.
You know,Apostle, when you started razzing me the other day, I thought you were an uneducated fool. Now, you have opened your mouth and removed all doubt.
Yes, Iran may have enough uranium to produce a nuclear bomb, but have you forgotten that they want to use any bomb they produce on Israel?? Are you not aware that North Korea agreed to stop producing weapons grade plutonium as long as they got aid from the countries they negotiated with only to announce the restarting of their uranium program as soon as Bush was out of office, as soon as they ran out of money given by these other countries?? Do you not realize what a dangerous situation this is? Or that Iran cannot be trusted and that they are probably enriching uranium in secret? OR that Iran is now looking to sue countries that invaded that country in WWII for damages as well as looking for compensation for WWI issues also??
You are, in my opinion, nothing but a bible thumper and my granddaughter probably knows more about the Bible than you do. She is 4 BTW.
So write back, call me an idiot, a teabagger, stupid, etc. At least I know the truth of Jesus Christ with a well-rounded education in the Old Testament as well. He knows who the false prophets are. I'm betting you are on that list.
Sanctions on Israel, Not Iran
September 17, 2009
http://www.dundeesblog.blog...
It is Israel which threatens Iran, not vice versa. The Wall Street Journal (7/8/09) reported that "an Israeli submarine believed to be carrying nuclear-tipped missiles" had moved towards Iran. Whereas Iran has not invaded another country since the late 18th century and occupies no one, Israel invades and attacks at will and illegally occupies Palestine and parts of Syria and Lebanon. Iranian President Ahmadinejad speaking at Columbia University 9/24/07 and elsewhere on American TV stated that he did not seek the destruction of the Israeli people but only wished for a change in their leadership so as to end their illegal occupations. Ahmadinejad said he would agree to any peace with Israel endorsed by the Palestinian people. He also explained that he did not deny that the Nazi Holocaust happened, he only wanted more research into the details and stressed that the German atrocities against the Jews should not be used to try to excuse Israeli atrocities against the Palestinians.
Many groups including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and even Israeli veterans have reported that Israel committed war crimes during its Gaza massacre in January. More than 1400 Palestinians were killed including at least 900 civilians according to human rights groups. Three Israeli civilians were killed. (The Boston Globe 7/16/09)
A 9/15/09 report by the UN Fact-Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict found Israel guilty of numerous war crimes against innocent civilians. Israelis used disproportionate force and deliberately attacked civilian targets, such as schools and hospitals, with heavy artillery and precision missiles from drones. They shot in cold blood civilians who were waving white flags and following Israeli instructions. They wantonly destroyed food, water, and sewerage facilities and rained down incendiary deadly white phosphorus on civilians. They shelled mosques during evening prayers and a UN relief compound which they knew was sheltering 700 civilians and which contained stored fuel.
Meanwhile, despite US objections, illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank keep expanding. The New York Times 9/14/09 reports that the Jewish settlers plunk down their settlements between Palestinian villagers and their farmlands. The Israelis then block their way so that the Palestinians can not get to their land at which time the settlers seize the Palestinian farmland claiming that it was "abandoned." Another favorite settler trick is setting fire to the Palestinian farms and orchards. It is not surprising that Israel's brutal occupations breeds the expected response from resistance groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah.
Israel's crimes must end. It is time for sanctions.
Iran is not going to stop with their nuke weapon activity. They're just buying time. As far as Israel goes, they have every right to defend themselves. Iran wants to blow them up. That's a direct threat. I don't blame them. Ever since the UN gave them that area of land, they've been defending themselves and their right to be there. Palestine has fought with them for years and years, each taking turns occupying each others borderlands. The problem is Iran, not Isreal, not Palistine and if our government buys into this idea that Iran has suddenly "seen the light" they're dumber than I ever imagined.
Can I just point out that the usual suspects aren't commenting on this story. It seems that people use these forums not to debate issues, but for partisan bickering. I'm not saying that there aren't partisan insults thrown here and there in this thread, but it seems (quite clearly) that nuclear proliferation is not important to many of the people that frequent these forums. Rather odd, eh?
I think it was the Cairo speech ./sarcasm Just when the people in the street are about to overthrow the thugs , expect Obambi to reach in and save the mullahs or what ever they call their Ayatollahs . No respect intended . If you think I am going to worry about correct spelling for some monster that wants to cut you daughter's head off you are mistaken .
Maybe we are in unanimous agreement . jus kiddin .
Yes, so I guess we should just bomb them to hell? Nevermind anything else.
sorry, but its probably another bogus deal offer, as they've done in the past. They'll just back out again. Sorry, but the deadline(s) has(have) LONG past. It is time to take out their nuclear weapons plants once and for all.
sorry, but its probably another bogus deal offer, as they've done in the past. They'll just back out again. Sorry, but the deadline(s) has(have) LONG past. It is time to take out their nuclear weapons plants once and for all.
Does anyone beyond the 3rd grade believe this is more than stalling?
Does anyone beyond the 3rd grade believe this is more than stalling?
same deal as n korea--nuke em