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Last update - 22:21 05/08/2008
U.S.: Iran response on nuclear freeze is unacceptable
By News Agencies
Tags: nuclear program, Iran

Iran's response to an incentives package aimed at defusing a dispute over its nuclear program is unacceptable, U.S. officials said Tuesday, making the prospects of new sanctions against the country more likely.

The officials told reporters that a brief one-page document Iran presented to European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana is not, as had been sought, a definitive reply to the offer from major world powers to suspend uranium enrichment and reprocessing in exchange for economic and other benefits.

Instead, the officials said it was a restatement of Tehran's earlier insistence on the right to conduct peaceful nuclear activities and essentially a transcription of portions of recent telephone conversations to that effect between Solana and Chief Iranian negotiator Saeed Jalili.
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One official familiar with the document described it as more obfuscation and delay and not a real response to the package, which was presented earlier this year by the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and Germany.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because Solana's office has not yet characterized the Iranian reply.

The officials said the lack of a clear response meant that discussion of new sanctions against Iran could begin as early as Wednesday when senior diplomats from the six countries that made the offer will speak in a conference call to discuss the way ahead.

The United States and others accuse Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons under cover of a civilian atomic energy program. Iran denies the charge.

The six world powers had offered to refrain from steps to impose more sanctions if Iran freezes expansion of its nuclear work - an initial step in getting talks going on a broader resolution to the stand-off.

"The letter handed over is not an answer to the offered package (by world powers) ... The letter does not mention the freeze-for-freeze issue," the senior Iranian official told Reuters.

The freeze idea is aimed at getting preliminary discussions going before starting full negotiations on a package of nuclear, trade and other incentives. But those formal talks will not begin until Iran suspends uranium enrichment.

Enrichment is the part of Iran's program that most worries the West because it can have both civilian and military uses.

Russia and China, two members of the sextet, have been reluctant to impose sanctions in the past but have, in the end, voted for all three sanctions resolutions after initial drafts were watered down.

The others in the sextet are the United States, Britain, France and Germany.

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      1.   Iran,ancient civilisation,I salute you! 13:22  |  lakshmi 05/08/08
      2.   Iran, I salute you indefatigability 14:36  |  H 05/08/08
      3.   lakshmi - Iran is not ancient civilization. They are muslims ... 15:07  |  17 05/08/08
      4.   Do we trust Mahmoud Ahmadinejad? 15:14  |  Jean Van Daem 05/08/08
      5.   H., some of your descriptions fit British colonialist past 15:15  |  Carl 05/08/08
      6.   deja vu all over again 15:17  |  Arie 05/08/08
      7.   The Big Six are gonna fold....... 15:46  |  Johnboy 05/08/08
      8.   #4 Complete nonsense from Jean Van Daem 15:57  |  Johnboy 05/08/08
      9.   to Jean van Propaganda 16:03  |  PersianPride 05/08/08
      10.   Basically, it`s pride. 16:27  |  sandra chitayat 05/08/08
      11.   Closed issue 16:37  |  Natallie Durson 05/08/08
      12.   #8 and #9...yes shame on us! 16:38  |  DR 05/08/08
      13.   Don`t print this Haaretz, just a strong hunch 16:45  |  The Archives 05/08/08
      14.   3.17 Iran is an ancient civilisation,originally Persian 17:24  |  lakshmi 05/08/08
      15.   Mullahs Are Not Iran. Oust Them for the Iranians. 17:49  |  Gorbachop 05/08/08
      16.   Iran 18:20  |  John 05/08/08
      17.   I am sick and tired of war and the idiots who wage them 18:31  |  Sick 05/08/08
      18.   Iran 18:45  |  Anonymous 05/08/08
      19.   #15 18:45  |  Marco 05/08/08
      20.   lakshmi - it is all textbook knowledge, 19:02  |  17 05/08/08
      21.   #11 Nathalie Durson 19:05  |  Daniela 05/08/08
      22.   #19 Marco "NO ONE likes us." 19:11  |  17 05/08/08
      23.   #9 Persian pride 19:15  |  Marco 05/08/08
      24.   lakshmi # its a shame such an ancient civillization will be blown 19:41  |  who cares 05/08/08
      25.   prescription for sick 19:48  |  frenz 05/08/08
      26.   lakshmi,moslems still have public beheadings,hangings,stonings, 19:54  |  terrornator 05/08/08
      27.   persian pride # it don`t matter if aMADinejad only has 15% of the 19:59  |  terrornator 05/08/08
      28.   closed issue will be opened back up,right nuttie? 20:06  |  terrornator 05/08/08
      29.   say ballestic,how about telling us all again how iran hasn`t 20:07  |  terrornator 05/08/08
      30.   Frenz 20:26  |  H 05/08/08
      31.   h, yes, it will. 20:45  |  frenz 05/08/08
      32.   stand your ground 22:00  |  billy jack 05/08/08
      33.   Iran: Just Like Us. 22:00  |  Cool B 05/08/08
      34.   In Natille`s dreams, it may be close, but nowhere else! 22:14  |  Voice of Reason 05/08/08
      35.   "U.S.: Iran response on nuclear freeze unacceptable " 22:15  |  Persian observer 05/08/08
      36.   persian observer,the "and" will come later 22:38  |  terrornator 05/08/08
      37.   17 on Iranians and Jews 22:39  |  Mark B. 05/08/08
      38.   Does that mean u.s. will attack iran 22:40  |  nuchem 05/08/08
      39.   #32, billyjack...learn from history!!! 23:07  |  DR 05/08/08
      40.   #33 Cool B...Iran just like us...ha!!! 23:09  |  DR 05/08/08
      41.   #35, Persian observer...not so good.... 23:12  |  DR 05/08/08
      42.   No one can stop Iran. 23:23  |  Persian Hero 05/08/08
      43.   POOR TORRORNATOR IS SUCH A LOST SOUL 23:52  |  BigBadJohn 05/08/08
      44.   Does that mean....? 00:16  |  nuchem 06/08/08
      45.   6 years fater the event they are still talking instead of acting 00:18  |  victor hardman 06/08/08
      46.   hey DR 00:25  |  Persian Hero 06/08/08
      47.   #38 00:31  |  Persian observer 06/08/08
      48.   #36 ok,we will wait,then. 00:38  |  Persian Observer 06/08/08
      49.   To 46 00:41  |  1 persian hero to go 06/08/08
      50.   persian zero,watch and see,if you think the world will allow the 00:42  |  terrornator 06/08/08
      51.   persian hero,iran has attacked several countries in the last 30 00:55  |  terrornator 06/08/08
      52.   Hey Persian Hero,spot on! Iran not only has it hand on the spigot 00:58  |  lakshmi 06/08/08
      53.   re #39 DR 01:20  |  billy jack 06/08/08
      54.   #29 Say Terrornator 02:05  |  ballistic 06/08/08
      55.   #38 Nuchum, sounds plausible! 02:07  |  ballistic 06/08/08
      56.   #43 Big Bad John, yes poor Terrornator 02:09  |  ballistic 06/08/08
      57.   #45 Yes, Paul Harris, 6 years, they wanted 02:10  |  ballistic 06/08/08
      58.   #47 03:05  |  Persian Hero 06/08/08
      59.   #58 and #49 and #47 10:35  |  Persian Hero 06/08/08
      60.   #50 and 51 13:20  |  Persian Hero 06/08/08
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