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Last update - 21:37 05/12/2007
Ahmadinejad declares victory following U.S. nuclear report
By News Agencies and Haaretz Service
Tags: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad 

ch to a rally in the western Iranian city of Ilam.
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The U.S. National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) report published on Monday said Iran had frozen its nuclear weapons program four years ago. It said Iran was continuing to develop the technical means that could be applied to producing weapons.

The report appeared likely to increase resistance from Russia and China to U.S. demands, backed by France and Britain, for a third round of United Nations sanctions against Iran over its nuclear ambitions.

"We of course will be actively pushing for a third UN Security Council resolution," White House spokesman Tony Fratto told reporters. "Anyone who thinks the threat from Iran has receded or diminished, I think is just naive and is not paying attention to the facts."

Earlier Wednesday, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said that more effective sanctions are required to stop Iran's uranium enrichment, despite the new data revealed in the NIE report.

"There is a need to continue, and to make more broad, more effective sanctions (against Iran) without any kind of hesitation," Livni told reporters during a visit to Slovenia which will take over the presidency of the EU in less than a month.

"Any kind of hesitation will be ... perceived as a weakness of the international community," she said, adding that Iran's continued enrichment of uranium is a clear threat to the region.

"Iran with a nuclear weapon is something that the world cannot afford," said Livni.

Iran called the report a victory for its nuclear program. Livni said there was no need for any kind of change of the strategy of the international community in dealings with Iran.

"We are talking about diplomatic tools, we are talking about sanctions," she said.

Also Wednesday, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Mohammed ElBaradei said that the U.S. report on Iran offers the country a "window of opportunity" to ease tensions between it and the international community.

"It opens a window of opportunity for Iran now because Iran obviously has been somewhat vindicated in saying they have not been working on a weapons program at least for the last few years," ElBaradei told a news conference in the Brazilian capital Brasilia.

"The report gives me a sigh of relief because it is consistent with our assessment," ElBaradei said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said earlier Wednesday that the U.S. report would be a factor in deciding whether new sanctions on Iran are needed.

"We will assess the situation on proposals for a new resolution in the United Nations Security Council on the basis of [several] factors, including the publication by the United States of data showing that Iran does not have a military nuclear program," Lavrov told a news conference.

The new U.S. review that concludes Iran stopped developing its nuclear weapons program in 2003 is a declaration of victory for the Iranian nuclear program, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Wednesday.

"This is a declaration of victory for the Iranian nation against the world powers over the nuclear issue," Ahmadinejad told thousands of people during a visit to Ilam province in western Iran.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Tuesday it would be a "big mistake" to ease world pressure on Iran just because a U.S. intelligence report said Tehran stopped its nuclear weapons program.

Rice, who has spent years battling to get the backing of reluctant world powers such as Russia and China to punish Iran over its nuclear program, said she would continue to push for a third UN Security Council sanctions resolution against Tehran.

"The timing has got to be to continue to pursue the Security Council resolutions, to pursue the other pressures that we are bringing to bear, so that they don't acquire the fissile material [to build a bomb]," Rice told reporters traveling with her to Ethiopia.

"I continue to see Iran as a dangerous power in international politics," she added before a refueling stop in Rota, southern Spain.

Rice said she had called nearly all of her key counterparts dealing with the Iran issue since the National Intelligence Estimate was released on Monday, which contradicted the Bush administration's earlier assertion that Iran was intent on building a bomb and likely undermined U.S. efforts to isolate Tehran.

Related articles:
  • PM: Report shows need for tight sanctions on Iran
  • U.S.: Iran halted nuclear weapons development in 2003
  • PM: Report shows need for tight sanctions on Iran
  • Iranian minister: Israel is the 'real nuclear danger' in Mideast
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      1.   Iran 11:27  |  zznhl 05/12/07
      2.   It`s a ruse 11:33  |  Yonatan 05/12/07
      3.   Why Then Does Iran Continue to Deny IAEA Full Transparency? 12:02  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 05/12/07
      4.   #3 13:10  |  Chris Linthwaite 05/12/07
      5.   High tide of US power in Middle East is over. 13:17  |  Michael 05/12/07
      6.   A ruse??? 13:30  |  Jim 05/12/07
      7.   # 3 Ovadiah ben Avraham 13:55  |  Jim 05/12/07
      8.   #5 Michael 14:06  |  Jim 05/12/07
      9.   Opinions all at odds in other words none reliable - risk v. high 14:39  |  Matt 05/12/07
      10.   #3 14:50  |  jeffrey 05/12/07
      11.   Head of US Intelligence.... 15:08  |  Major R 05/12/07
      12.   Nothing But The Truth 15:55  |  Cool B 05/12/07
      13.   #1 16:00  |  Cheops 05/12/07
      14.   no nukes 16:07  |  john 05/12/07
      15.   #3 is right, U.S. intel is flawed 16:48  |  Ariana 05/12/07
      16.   Cool B 17:19  |  Albert Seligman 05/12/07
      17.   Chris 17:24  |  Albert Seligman 05/12/07
      18.   To jim #6 17:36  |  Common sense 05/12/07
      19.   To Albert Seligman practice what you preach 17:40  |  The Judge 05/12/07
      20.   #16 Albert...its no use! 17:46  |  DR 05/12/07
      21.   Why Then Did Russia and China Support 2 Rounds of Sanctions? 17:47  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 05/12/07
      22.   Why Then Did they, Ovadiah ben Avraham? 17:53  |  Greg 05/12/07
      23.   Ariana 17:55  |  Greg 05/12/07
      24.   DR 17:59  |  Greg 05/12/07
      25.   ELBARADEI NEEDS TO BE FIRED? 18:00  |  indrajaya 05/12/07
      26.   Why Iran denies IAEA full transparency 18:18  |  Mike Yekan 05/12/07
      27.   Judge 18:08  |  Albert Seligman 05/12/07
      28.   #22 Greg: Bluffing for What? 18:13  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 05/12/07
      29.   Albert Seligman 18:14  |  Espart 05/12/07
      30.   #26 Mike: Which is Worse Indeed 18:22  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 05/12/07
      31.   #29: Espart: You Forgot to Include Hezbullah 18:29  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 05/12/07
      32.   Albert 18:33  |  Cool B 05/12/07
      33.   Ovadiah ben Avraham 18:52  |  Espart 05/12/07
      34.   #24 Greg, I agree 100% 18:59  |  DR 05/12/07
      35.   Now it`s time for the international community to move against 19:13  |  lakshmi 05/12/07
      36.   #21 The UK applied sanctions on Iran 19:23  |  Chris Linthwaite 05/12/07
      37.   #17 Albert 19:29  |  Chris Linthwaite 05/12/07
      38.   Sex and travel 19:39  |  Clickfool 05/12/07
      39.   Mike26 , what about "wiped off the map" and "terror state" 19:55  |  Aaron 05/12/07
      40.   Israel wants Iran Bombed, Nukes or Not 19:56  |  Ibrahim 05/12/07
      41.   Doesn`t Livni understand? I guess she doesn`t. It`s over. 20:23  |  bat yam 05/12/07
      42.   Daily comedy time 20:41  |  Goldberg 05/12/07
      43.   Ovadiah ben Avraham 20:52  |  Greg 05/12/07
      44.   DR 20:58  |  Greg 05/12/07
      45.   #44 Greg: Get Real? Got Milk? 21:04  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 05/12/07
      46.   Livni calls for tougher sanctions 21:09  |  Christopher 05/12/07
      47.   #33 Espart: You Need to Make Sense To Make a Point 21:12  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 05/12/07
      48.   #36 Linthwaite: Why Has Iran Defied IAEA -- Illogic 21:29  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 05/12/07
      49.   Bullshit 21:57  |  Avram 05/12/07
      50.   He is winning! 22:06  |  Shiite Crescent 05/12/07
      51.   Why was the NIE released NOW? 22:07  |  exekiel 05/12/07
      52.   How eloquent, andre-ass 22:11  |  Rory 05/12/07
      53.   Why released NOW? 22:12  |  ezekiel 05/12/07
      54.   Iran`s nuclear ambitions 22:13  |  Otto Rand 05/12/07
      55.   Ibrahim and Israel`s mentality 22:20  |  Abraham 05/12/07
      56.   It was IRAN we got the intelligence from!! 22:38  |  Avram 05/12/07
      57.   it is not over till the fat lady sings 22:40  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 05/12/07
      58.   #3 correcting Ovadiah AGAIN on the same thing 22:43  |  Pablo B 05/12/07
      59.   from theThe weekly standard 22:46  |  Avi 05/12/07
      60.   The only winner here is the Iranian people 22:48  |  Swiss (Dino) 05/12/07
      61.   It`s most likely about money 22:50  |  NDM 05/12/07
      62.   Fall of iranian dictatorship imminent 22:51  |  Johnny 05/12/07
      63.   Andreas, you know the police is monitoring ppl like you 22:54  |  Johnny 05/12/07
      64.   Doesn`t Livni understand? I guess she doesn`t. It`s over. 23:01  |  bat yam 05/12/07
      65.   Aaron - Israel`s paranoia proves Iran has nukes? 23:09  |  Pablo B 05/12/07
      66.   Hey Lakshimi...why don`t you go to Iraq? 23:13  |  DR 05/12/07
      67.   Ibrahim #40, tough when your islamic dreams doesnt work out ha? 23:18  |  Johnny 05/12/07
      68.   Ahmadinejad PWNED Israel 23:42  |  POP 05/12/07
      69.   #38 - Not quite, Clickfool 23:45  |  JES 05/12/07
      70.   #58 Pablo (AGAIN): 100% IAEA Compliance? Why Then SC Sanctions? 23:46  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 05/12/07
      71.   IAEA 00:04  |  Veni Vidi 06/12/07
      72.   Ovadiah ben Avraham 00:15  |  Greg 06/12/07
      73.   Bush + USA are LOSERS!!!!!!!!!!!1!!!!! 00:30  |  POP 06/12/07
      74.   Nothing has changed 01:13  |  Dave 06/12/07
      75.   It`s all part of a deal 01:14  |  Dave 06/12/07
      76.   bat yam 02:17  |  Mark Lincoln 06/12/07
      77.   No Avram 02:22  |  Mark Lincoln 06/12/07
      78.   A blast from the past 02:35  |  Mark Lincoln 06/12/07
      79.   Yes, it`s a ruse.... 06:35  |  Gabrial 06/12/07
      80.   Victory about what? 04:31  |  cristo 07/12/07
      81.   POP the Pooper Plus I ran is equals Loserrrrss!! 04:34  |  cristo 07/12/07
      82.   Islamic Dreams never come true, all are 04:43  |  cristo 07/12/07
      83.   Umm, errr?Its not REALLY nuclear weapons 05:46  |  joebhed 07/12/07
      84.   Ovadiah ? good question. 05:56  |  joebhed 07/12/07
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