Iran's objection to ratifying the International Atomic Energy Agency's Additional Protocol of the IAEA is said to be the main obstacle to dispelling fears that it is not building a nuclear weapon. Iranian and EU officials meet April 10 to try to resolve a stalemate in their negotiations over this issue. If they fail, the EU will likely support the US and refer the case to the UN Security Council.
At the moment, Iran is unwilling to ratify the Additional Protocol because of agreement between the EU and the US on its interpretation; none of the two settle for anything less than that inspectors see Iran destroy a wide arsenal of nuclear fuel-cycle capabilities that it has been building on and off since the Shah was driven out in 1979. It would also have to abandon all its projects to enrichment, reprocess and convert uranium as well as its heavy-water production.
One option that Iran might be willing to buy into -even if only partially- would be to compensate Iran for giving up the right to produce reactor fuel. Under this construction, major nuclear suppliers including Russia, the United States, and certain European countries would provide a binding guarantee for Iran to receive fuel-cycle services-the supply of fresh reactor fuel as well as retrieval and storage of spent fuel-on a commercial basis for any nuclear power reactors that it builds as long as it meets its commitments.
This option is disfavored by the US, which wants Iran to cease all nuclear operations full stop. Earlier negotiations between Europe and Iran stalled. The EU countries conducting them indicated that they might support the U.S. intention to hand the issue over to the UN Security Council. This means that military force is not excluded if Tehran does not accept the demand to make its current nuclear halt permanent.
Observers say that the best hopes to avoid this during the negotiations starting 10 April will be a focus on strengthening rather than discarding the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), to which Iran is a signatory. This is very much in line with traditional 'soft' EU foreign policy. Some observers fear that the US cooperation with the EU on the issue means that the EU is alienated from its earlier standpoint.
The Additional Protocol allows for intrusive inspections by the IAEA on a no-notice basis. Iran no doubt will argue here that this means reconfirming and beginning implementation of the obligations the NPT imposes on nuclear weapons states such as the U.S., Britain, France, China and Russia to move towards full nuclear disarmament.
Angelique van Engelen is a freelance writer. She has lived for over three years in the Middle East. She runs http://www.contentclix.com and also contributes to a weblog http://www.contentclix.com She can be emailed via http://www.contentclix.com
limousine airport Glendale Heights .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareMany parents might think it a bit farfetched to compare... Read More
If slavery has not worked well, then cloning if it... Read More
Previously Senator Dick Armey and his staff in 2000 to... Read More
We learned some lessons in these last few wars. For... Read More
Regarding the de-regulation of energy, this is not such a... Read More
In the last two weeks, two non-senior US officials indirectly... Read More
China is serious about breaking into the bio-tech field and... Read More
Forest Vegetation Simulations for Fire Prevention, Healthy Forest and Saving... Read More
Currently the US Army is having trouble recruiting. These problems... Read More
For many years now, I have been the proud holder... Read More
Kudos goes out to the George Walker Bush's Administration and... Read More
Recently a friend insisted that I read a book by... Read More
Having been to every city in the country over the... Read More
Hello! Happy new year. May you live a long healthy... Read More
As baby boomers, we have been spoiled all of our... Read More
Recently in Professional Builder a cover article discussed how the... Read More
As pictures and videos surface showing young American soldiers humiliating... Read More
Any chances for a country to be ruled by alternative... Read More
Do you really want to get ahead in your life?... Read More
Well here is a great new product, we first saw... Read More
The predominant discussion in the Indianapolis media over the proposed... Read More
A visitor to Moscow would be immediately struck by the... Read More
This is a thought on the study of Home and... Read More
There are many mines around the world, which are owned... Read More
The first reaction of economies in transition is a sharp... Read More
Lincoln Stretch rentals Willowbrook ..We have all heard of the huge debates surrounding genetically... Read More
Currently the United States has weapons, which can shoot around... Read More
A coffee shop conversation about a Great Country in Historic... Read More
Businesses advertising alcohol either in TV or non-broadcast format need... Read More
In order to win the presidency in America, candidates must... Read More
(1) Each person is to have an equal right to... Read More
The process of researching this topic has been an interesting... Read More
In the event of that a threatening nation to the... Read More
Many are condemning the latest GM Terminator seeds. Yet there... Read More
An article in Information Week in January 14, 2002 discussed... Read More
Many times our government regulatory over embellish problems in the... Read More
The filibuster as a political delaying tactic has been a... Read More
Presently Universities and Private Enterprise are working to build more... Read More
The Justice Department is at it again; promoting themselves in... Read More
Is Ohio Manufacturing Sector really unable to compete in the... Read More
This is the beginning of the end for the man... Read More
The second amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees every American... Read More
Have you noticed that the when the service men who... Read More
A few hours ago, Colonel Ely Ould Mohamed Vall, the... Read More
The UnbornWith all this cloning in the news one can't... Read More
Elliot Spitzer, recently said he wanted to drive a stake... Read More
Non-lethal Goo Concepts have been tossed around by many war... Read More
The cause of America is in a great measure the... Read More
Sodomy is against the law, yet goes on every day... Read More
Contrary to the Hobbesian prediction of anarchy (freedom) and brutish... Read More
Political |