Ahmadinejad: Iran in position of power in nuclear talks
Iranian President likens the power of Iran's enemies to a mosquito amid talks with West over UN-backed deal.
By The Associated Press Tags: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad UN Israel news Iran nuclearIranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Sunday likened the power of Iran's enemies to a mosquito, saying Iran now deals with the West over its nuclear activities from a position of power.
The comment from Ahmadinejad came as Iran is negotiating with the West over a United Nations-backed proposal to ship its uranium abroad for further enrichment.
The UN-brokered plan would require Iran to send 1,100 kilograms of low-enriched uranium - around 70 percent of its stockpile - to Russia in one batch by year's end, where it will be processed to create more refined fuel for a Tehran research reactor.
Iran has indicated that it may agree to send only part of its stockpile in several shipments. Should the talks fail to help Iran obtain the fuel from abroad, Iran has threatened to enrich uranium to the higher level needed to power the research reactor itself domestically.
After further enrichment in Russia, France would convert the uranium into fuel rods that would be returned to Iran for use in a Tehran reactor that produces medical isotopes.
"While enemies have used all their capacities... the Iranian nation is standing powerfully and they are like a mosquito," a government Web site quoted Ahmadinejad early Sunday as saying.
Ahmadinejad also said Iran doesn't trust the West when it sits for talks.
"Given the negative record of Western powers, the Iranian government... looks at the talks with no trust. But realities dictate to them to interact with the Iranian nation," he said according to the site.
The U.S. and its allies have been pushing for the UN-backed agreement as a way to reduce Iran's stockpile of low-enriched uranium to prevent the possibility that Iran may turn them into weapons-grade uranium, materials needed for the core of a nuclear bomb.
Iranian opposition to the UN plan could be driven by concerns that the proposal would weaken Iran's control over its stockpiles of nuclear fuel and could be perceived as a concession to the West.
The Tehran reactor needs uranium enriched to about 20 percent, higher than the 3.5 percent-enriched uranium that Iran is producing for a nuclear power plant it plans to build in southwestern Iran. Enriching uranium to even higher levels can produce weapons-grade materials.
Iranian officials have said it is more economical to purchase the more-highly enriched uranium needed for the Tehran reactor than to produce it domestically.
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IN NO WAY CAN YOU TRUST IRAN. FULL STOP END OF STORY
so let me see, obama "unclenches his fist"(laughably) and achmedinejad spits in it....and lo and behold, the US does nothing. This is precisely what voters were worried about in the elections last year...what does this man stand for? what will he do? what will he put up with? this is crunch time barry, and guess what? you extended your hand..you unclenched your fist..you did what you sais needed to be done, and you are being made a fool of...as is every single jew who voted for this left wing ideological cream puff. On the surface it sounded like he would bring nations together, but in reality, that was always a pipe dream and other countries were only too happy he won so that they could use him to get everything they wanted...egypt, turkey, pals, russia and on and on...soft power is for academics, hard power is for leaders. This nobel prize winner will lead us all into the next great war. mark my words.
By all means, lets trust the government who kills, rapes and tortures its own citizens. Who lies about everything, changes positions at the drop of a hat and arms terrorist organizations with the intent of surrounding Israel from the South, North, East and West with its new submarines. Lets trust the man who believes it is his destiny to start World War III. In a short while, there is going to be an all missle & airborne attack on Israel from the leading terrorist in the world. Osama bin laden is a babe compared to this moron. And what is astounding, is that there will be people from around the world writing in and supporting this terrorist who dreams of killing millions!
Alas, the Iranian leader should recognize that his nation may be a regional power, but it cannot compare in anyway to the level of most of the nuclear powers with the exception also of North Korea. Iran is a rogue State and must be put in its place.