[Mb-civic] FW: Latest News: Iran Would Welcome Kerry Camp Proposal-Official

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From: Shahla Samii <shahla at thesamiis.com>
Date: Sat, 9 Oct 2004 13:00:06 -0400
Subject: Latest News: Iran Would Welcome Kerry Camp Proposal-Official


Iran Would Welcome Kerry Camp Proposal-Official


By Parisa Hafezi

TEHRAN (Reuters) -  Iran would welcome a proposal by U.S. presidential
candidate Senator John Kerry (news - web sites)'s running mate for a
"great bargain" to solve the dispute over Tehran's nuclear program, a
senior Iranian official said on Saturday.


  Vice presidential candidate Senator John Edwards (news - web sites)
has said that Kerry, a Democrat, would be willing to supply Iran with
nuclear fuel for power generation if Tehran abandons its own
fuel-making capability - if Iran did not accept this offer, it would
confirm Iran wanted to make an atom bomb.

  Iran earlier rejected the proposal, saying it would be "irrational"
for Iran to jeopardize what it says is its purely civilian nuclear
program by relying on supplies from abroad.

  But in an apparent policy shift, Hossein Mousavian, head of the
foreign policy committee at Iran's Supreme National Security Council,
said Iran would review the proposal.

  "Iran welcomes any constructive proposal from any American candidate,"
Mousavian told Reuters in an interview. "We are willing to consider
constructive proposals from Americans," he added.

  But he said Iran, as a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty
(NPT), should be allowed to pursue its "peaceful nuclear program."

  "Our legitimate right of pursuing peaceful nuclear technology should
be considered," he said.

  President Bush (news - web sites)'s administration says there is no
point in offering incentives to Iran. Bush wants Iran referred to the
U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions.

  ELECTION CAMPAIGN

  Mousavian said Iranian officials earlier rejected the Kerry camp
proposal because they were not sure if it was part of the election
campaign or a serious proposal.

  He said Iran did not want to get embroiled in the U.S. election
campaign. "If it is part of Kerry's election campaign ... we do not
want to be part of it," he said. "Let the Americans play their game
themselves."

  Mousavian ruled out direct talks with Washington on Iran's nuclear
program due to its "hostile" policy toward Iran.

  The United States cut diplomatic ties with Iran after radical Iranian
students took dozens of U.S. diplomats hostage following the 1979
Islamic revolution.

  "It is because of 20 years of mistrust... Up to now, Americans have
not shown any sign of good will," he said.

  Mousavian called on Europeans to resist U.S. pressure and treat
Tehran's nuclear dossier "fairly."

  "Why they do not open a chapter of cooperation?" Mousavian said. "This
issue can be solved by political talks, not by resolutions."

  Iran agreed to suspend its enrichment-related activities last year
after talks with foreign ministers from Britain, Germany and France.
But it recently resumed key parts of it.

  The IAEA board of governors passed a resolution last month demanding
Iran freeze all activities connected with enriching uranium or face
"tougher actions."

  Mousavian said Iran considers enrichment as its "legitimate right" and
would not yield to such pressures.

  Iran's conservative-dominated parliament has prepared a bill that
would force moderate President Mohammad Khatami (news - web sites)'s
government to resume uranium enrichment.

  "Parliament is concerned over whether the government is capable of
guaranteeing the nations right of having peaceful technology,"
Mousavian said.
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http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=564&ncid=696&e=1&u=/nm/
20041009/ts_nm/iran_nuclear_kerry_dc

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