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French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner (AP)
Last update - 16:31 18/11/2007
French FM: France is not ruling out a military strike on Iran
By Adar Primor, Haaretz Correspondent and Reuters
Tags: Iran, France, Israel

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner maintains that the report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) late last week on the Iranian nuclear program and Tehran's "increased cooperation" with the agency does not alter the seriousness with which France views the crisis or its stance on a potential military strike against Iran.

The French foreign minister began a tour of Israel and the Palestinian Authority on Saturday.

In an interview with Haaretz, Kouchner, who along with French President Nicolas Sarkozy is leading the European hard-liners against Iran, described the crisis over Iran's nuclear program "as extremely serious," adding that France "will never compromise on Israel's security."
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Even though in Tehran the IAEA's report was described as a "political victory" that may prevent the intensifying of international sanctions, Kouchner says that "for now Iran persists in not meeting its international commitments."

In an indirect reference to the agency's report, which concluded that Iran is continuing its uranium-enrichment efforts, he says that "in accordance with [United Nations Security Council] Resolution 1747, we have no choice but to make another decision at the Security Council [on imposing new sanctions]."

When asked if in light of the Russian and Chinese opposition, a likelihood exists of forcing Iran to abandon its nuclear project without having to use force, Kouchner said: "We have proposed to our European partners to adopt measures against Iran also within the European Union framework, in order to let Iran understand that it cannot continue with its policy of creating faits accomplis."

Will France support the use of force by the United States or Israel? Will France be willing to participate in an attack on Iran? Kouchner did not respond directly to the questions but used language that suggests that for France, all options, including that of military force, are open:

"I intend to continue with great determination along this path [of pressuring Iran] which is the only way to bring about an agreed solution, the only one that will prevent us from having, one day, to be faced with a dilemma of 'an Iranian bomb or bombing Iran.'"

Meanwhile, Russia on Friday gave the clearest indication yet that it was ready to send uranium to fuel Iran's first atomic power station, upping the stakes in a diplomatic crisis surrounding Tehran's nuclear program.

As a result of these reports, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Kislyak will meet senior Israeli officials in Jerusalem.

Kislyak is in charge of the Iranian portfolio at the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Russia's state-run nuclear fuel producer said inspectors from the United Nations' nuclear watchdog would later this month start sealing nuclear fuel bound for the Bushehr plant, a major step to shipping the fuel to the Bushehr plant in Iran.

Russia has so far given no concrete date for when it will send the nuclear fuel to Bushehr, but says it would be sent six months before the plant's repeatedly delayed start-up.

According to Russian forecasts, the reactor at the plant could be started up in 2008 and nuclear fuel would have to arrive at the plant six months before that.

Iran's ambassador to Russia on Friday said nuclear fuel deliveries to the Islamic Republic were a "matter of principle", and hoped Moscow would send them soon.

"We hope that promises we have been receiving from official Russian representatives on such an important issue ... will soon be carried out and realized," Ambassador Gholamreza Ansari said.

"Russia has formally informed (the IAEA) that it is ready for the Bushehr nuclear fuel in Russia to be checked and sealed on Nov. 26," IRNA quoted Mohammad Saeedi, deputy head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, as saying.

Meanwhile, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Saturday that Iran was ready to respond if attacked, but played down the prospect of war with the United States.

Ahmadinejad was speaking during a visit to Bahrain which came amid mounting concerns in the Gulf that the United States could launch military action against Iran, although Washington says it is committed to a diplomatic solution to a crisis over Tehran's nuclear ambitions.


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  • French envoy: Iran's nuclear program 'a threat to the world'
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      1.   Ya.. Let`s ignore Israel`s religious occupation. 04:50  |  POP 18/11/07
      2.   France is Hypocrite 05:54  |  JJ 18/11/07
      3.   Oil, running out of it. 06:37  |  Omran 18/11/07
      4.   France 06:39  |  Omran 18/11/07
      5.   THIS IS MORE HILARIOUS THAM SERIOUS 06:54  |  indrajaya 18/11/07
      6.   The Chinese and Russians already made up their minds. 07:06  |  Adel 18/11/07
      7.   To #1 POOP 07:57  |  Aladin 18/11/07
      8.   What "religious occupation?" 08:02  |  HonestAbe 18/11/07
      9.   Best to ignore POP and his ilk 08:07  |  Stephen in New York 18/11/07
      10.   Nuclear Iran a Catastrophe 08:39  |  Khaled 18/11/07
      11.   the culprit is russia 09:21  |  goldman 18/11/07
      12.   No matter how much he is pressed, he refuses to advocate war now 09:28  |  Pablo B 18/11/07
      13.   #1 Pop, I couldn`t agree more.... 09:31  |  Dutch 18/11/07
      14.   IT SEEMS LIKE FRANCE IS A REAL COUNTRY AFTER ALL 09:45  |  Jaques Escargot 18/11/07
      15.   Mr. Kouchner still on a "learning trip"....???? 09:53  |  Swiss (Dino) 18/11/07
      16.   Kouchner 10:07  |  Hanzala 18/11/07
      17.   response 10:09  |  Zvi 18/11/07
      18.   One voice from the Security Council can stop Iran. 10:11  |  Akram Zekaria 18/11/07
      19.   # 14, JACQUES ESCARGOT 10:17  |  indrajaya 18/11/07
      20.   about time 10:51  |  alan 18/11/07
      21.   Nuclear France! 10:56  |  Maureen Ann 18/11/07
      22.   Zionist help Zionist 11:26  |  Dav 18/11/07
      23.   #19# I AGREE FRANCE SHOULD BOMB THEM TOUTE SUITE ! 11:34  |  Poulette 18/11/07
      24.   "France ` will never compromise on Israel`s security ` " 11:46  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 18/11/07
      25.   Never ending Shiite-Sunni hatred&ongoing murders could go nuclear 11:47  |  PETER S.M. 18/11/07
      26.   Islamist world will end in apocalypse 11:49  |  Johnny 18/11/07
      27.   Why is there still a "mosque" at the top of the temple mount? 11:52  |  Radogan 18/11/07
      28.   Germany is boycotting sanctions 11:55  |  Jonathan S 18/11/07
      29.   Poulette, amen to you words 11:57  |  Johnny 18/11/07
      30.   C`mon - Everything that Ulmart touches FAILS 12:02  |  Kobi 18/11/07
      31.   to swiss(Dino) # 15 12:05  |  Judah N. Wenkel 18/11/07
      32.   Sarko-the-sayan 12:16  |  the-deranged-frog 18/11/07
      33.   2JJ sad to say,yes he is! Pop well said,Dutch greetings! 12:25  |  lakshmi 18/11/07
      34.   POP the won`t learn/can`t learn 12:37  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 18/11/07
      35.   # 31 Judah N. Wenkel 12:46  |  Swiss (Dino) 18/11/07
      36.   To froggy, "BELIEVE that France..", no know that France 12:52  |  Johnny 18/11/07
      37.   About the unholy alliance Berlin-Tehran 13:05  |  Jonathan S 18/11/07
      38.   Viva La France (She/he grew some balls) 13:06  |  Petra 18/11/07
      39.   #33 Say Lakshmi 13:07  |  ballistic 18/11/07
      40.   ZARFAT(FRANCE)=770,GOING TO HELP ISRAEL AFTER ALL.MOSHIACH TIMES! 13:09  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 18/11/07
      41.   # 23, POULETTE 13:11  |  indrajaya 18/11/07
      42.   #23#14#29# THE FRENCH LEAD EUROPE HOORAY ! ! 13:22  |  J.Escargot 18/11/07
      43.   France Remmember Your 3 Million 13:34  |  Samir Salameh 18/11/07
      44.   # 37 # IMPORTANT POST DON,T MISS IT 13:36  |  B.Rasagt 18/11/07
      45.   Jacques the snail who will pay the cost 13:37  |  Bertrand 18/11/07
      46.   # 38 #You said it swingingly 13:40  |  B.Owloks 18/11/07
      47.   With Sarkozy widely assumed 13:44  |  Chris Linthwaite 18/11/07
      48.   Akram Zekaria #18 13:47  |  Hubal 18/11/07
      49.   Poulette? 13:48  |  Jean-Paul DOGUET 18/11/07
      50.   Interesting - To Jonathan Germany 13:49  |  Lou 18/11/07
      51.   Akram Zekaria #18 part 2 13:49  |  Hubal 18/11/07
      52.   #37 Say Jonathan 13:50  |  ballistic 18/11/07
      53.   # 8 exactly right, "honestabe" babe! 13:53  |  eric 18/11/07
      54.   Is this Haaretz or Mein Kampf 13:54  |  rofehd 18/11/07
      55.   3 Million Muslims in France - To Samir- 13:57  |  Lou 18/11/07
      56.   re#38 You said it swingingly LOL WOBBLYDANGLERS? he he loved it! 13:58  |  Petra 18/11/07
      57.   #47 MAN YOU`RE DRUNK OR JUST NUTZ!!!!!! 14:01  |  Petra 18/11/07
      58.   #42 YOU"RE ONTO THEM!!!! 14:05  |  Petra 18/11/07
      59.   #47 Chris 14:05  |  ballistic 18/11/07
      60.   #23 YES TO THAT LADY/GENTLEMAN!!!!!! 14:07  |  Petra 18/11/07
      61.   #11 Goldman 14:07  |  Chris Linthwaite 18/11/07
      62.   Why? 14:10  |  Tess 18/11/07
      63.   #34 So called peace maker Margie cant admit truth 14:10  |  Labhras 18/11/07
      64.   #54 rofehd 14:19  |  Chris Linthwaite 18/11/07
      65.   Syria will have nuclear weapons too 14:21  |  Jonathan S 18/11/07
      66.   #39 Ballistic 14:23  |  Labhras 18/11/07
      67.   #59 Ballistic 14:24  |  Chris Linthwaite 18/11/07
      68.   to lou ...you can`t even go to saint denis 14:26  |  samir salameh 18/11/07
      69.   Say Ballistic #52 14:37  |  Jonathan S 18/11/07
      70.   Be wary of the short man 14:38  |  Natallie Durson