IRAN'S INVITATION TO THE US TO BUILD ATOMIC PLANT IS A "BAD HOAX"
PARIS 2 June (IPS) Iranian analysts described as "a diplomatic bluff" and a "bad hoax" Tehran’s "invitation" of the United States to join in its ambitious program for building more nuclear-powered electrical plants, saying it showed "how far Iranian officials are from realities".
"I don't think America is worried about Iran's nuclear programs; if they are, we invite them to come and participate in these programs and construct the facilities", Iran’s Foreign Affairs Ministry senior spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi told reporters during a weekly briefing on Monday.
U.S. officials have already dismissed the idea, floated last week by Russia’s Atomic energy Minister Alexander Rumyantsev, when he suggested that other nations, including the United States, could have the opportunity to participate in the construction of new nuclear-powered electrical plants in Iran.
"There is enough room for everyone", Rumyantsev said, referring to Iranians planning the construction of six such stations in Booshehr, where the first one, under construction with Russian help, is due to enter activity sometimes in 2005.
"We have made this proposal to our American colleagues several times during discussions on the expert level and they have been saying they need to think about it", the Russian Minister had said, shrugging off American and Israeli accusations that the Iranians wanted these facilities for developing atomic bomb.
On Sunday, the U.S. and Russian presidents said they had narrowed their
differences over Iran at a meeting in St Petersburg. But Moscow has yet to heed
Washington's insistence on halting Moscow transferring nuclear know-how to
Iranians.
Rumyantsev said Russia would continue its nuclear cooperation with Iran unless the Vienna-based International Agency of Atomic Energy acknowledges officially that Iran had breached on international conventions.
President Mohammad Khatami admitted that Iran had constructed uranium enrichment plants in Natanz and Arak, in central Iran, after Washington confirmed information released by the Baghdad-based Mohajedeen Khalq Organisation on the projects, which were kept secret from the IAEA inspections.
Washington has turned up the heat against Tehran in recent weeks, accusing Iran of pursuing an aggressive nuclear program and harbouring some senior ranking members of the al-Qa’eda network.
"The Islamic Republic rejects the charges. Iran says its nuclear programs are transparent and peaceful, aimed at producing 7,000 megawatts of electricity in the next 20 years when the country's oil and gas reserves become overstretched", the official Iranian news agency IRNA observed Monday.
"We have clearly said we want the nuclear know-how for peaceful objectives. We have other concerns about the country's reconstruction and development and there is no room for nuclear arms in our programs", Mr. Asefi told journalists.
"How Mr. Asefi dare to invite American firm to come building nuclear plants in Iran, meaning one of the world’s most highly advanced critical technology, at a time that Washington has barred them from selling of exporting much less controversial items, like advanced computers, or oil and gas industries, even stopping European-made Airbus planes to be sold to Iran on ground that they use some American-made parts", observed Dr. Fereydoon Khavand, a professor of economy with French universities.
United States stopped all relations with the Islamic Republic and imposed severe economic embargo after Iranian revolutionary students stormed the American embassy in Tehran on November 1979 and took 55 American diplomats and staff as hostage for 444 days.
Mr. Asefi made the declaration as Ayatollah Ali Khameneh’i; the leader of the Islamic Republic once again rejected any talk with the United States.
Actually, Mr. Khameneh'i reiterated his objections to the talks after the American called off the two side’s meetings in Geneva, sponsored by the United Nations and blessed by himself, over the presence in Iran of al-Qa’eda operatives.
According to many Iranian observers and independent media, Moscow’s intentions from continuing nuclear cooperation with Iran is aimed at getting more advantages from the Americans.
"In a hastily act, Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Igor Ivanov has called on Iran to be more cooperative with the United Nations by accepting more serious inspections of its nuclear installations. This 180 degree change of policy not only is part of secret Russian-American political bargaining, but also clearly shows that the Russians are more interested by money from the Americans than foreign policy, as seen by their attitude in Chechnya, Iraq and Syria", commented the pro-conservative newspaper "E’temad".
During his meeting with the press, Mr. Asefi said Tehran welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin's call on Sunday for tighter controls on atomic weapons:
"We totally agree with Putin's remarks regarding weapons of mass destruction. Iran was the first country that suggested the whole region must be void of such weapons", Asefi said, adding that Russia "has acknowledged our nuclear activities are peaceful".
"Is Mr. Asefi so naïve to believe that the Americans would come build nuclear installations in Iran without also sending tens of their secret agents disguised as experts?", asked Mr. Khavand, who also agrees that the Russians, with their nuclear cooperation with Iran, are "milking both the Iranians and the Americans". ENDS IRAN NUKE 2603