U.S. wants Iran talks to focus on nukes
White House statement comes after Iran FM says nuclear talks with West are 'possibility.'
By News Agencies Tags: Barack Obama Israel news Iran nuclearThe White House said Saturday that international talks with Iran should focus on the country's nuclear program, a topic Tehran had ruled off limits until its foreign minister opened the door.
"We're not talking for talking's sake," presidential spokesman Robert Gibbs said. "This may not have been a topic they wanted to be brought up, but I can assure you it's a topic that we'll bring up."
"The Iranians have a responsibility to the international community to walk away from their illicit nuclear weapons program," Gibbs added. "That's what the focus from our side will be in these talks, and that's our goal."
A day after the Obama administration said that it and five partner nations had accepted Iran's offer for talks, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said that, "Should conditions be ripe, there is a possibility of talks about the nuclear issue."
Mottaki's statement appeared to be a reversal of Iran's consistent refusal to discuss its nuclear program and a significant step up from its proposal earlier in the week when Tehran said it was willing to talk, but not about its nuclear ambitions.
Speaking to reporters traveling with President Barack Obama for a health care rally in Minneapolis, Gibbs said the administration was disappointed with Iran's proposal issued Wednesday for international talks because it sidestepped the nuclear issue.
"But with the latest development," Gibbs said, "We think this gives us an avenue to directly address with the Iranians about what we believe their responsibilities are, to put pressure on them throughout the international community and strengthen our hand as we move forward."
Such a meeting could lessen immediate pressure on Obama to abandon his diplomatic outreach to Tehran, which has yet to yield concrete results. Obama said in July that Iran should show a willingness to negotiate limits on its nuclear program by September or face consequences.
State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said Friday that the U.S. and its negotiating partners - Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany - agreed they must keep pressure on Iran while also seeking talks.
"Now we are willing to meet with Iran. We hope to meet with Iran," Crowley said. "We want to see serious engagement on the nuclear issue, in particular."
He added, "We are willing to address any other issues that they want to bring to the table. But, clearly, if Iran refuses to negotiate seriously, we - the United States and the international community and the Security Council - can draw conclusions from that. And then based on that, we'll make some judgments in the future."
In its proposal, Iran ignored a demand by the six world powers for a freeze of its uranium enrichment, which is suspected of leading to production of a nuclear weapon. Iran insists that its nuclear work is strictly for peaceful nonmilitary purposes.
Iran pronounced itself ready to embark on comprehensive, all-encompassing and constructive negotiations.
On Monday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said his country will neither halt uranium enrichment nor negotiate over its nuclear rights but is ready to sit and talk with world powers over global challenges.
The decision to take up Iran's offer was communicated publicly Friday in Brussels, Belgium, by Javier Solana, the European Union foreign policy chief who is an intermediary for the six powers. They represent the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany.
The Obama administration has expressed interest in discussing numerous other issues with Iran, including cooperation in stabilizing two Iranian neighbors - Afghanistan and Iraq - as well as alleged Iranian support for terrorist groups.
Meanwhile, Iran's Defense Minister, Ahman Vahidi, insisted on Saturday that Iran had no ambitions to manufacture nuclear weapons, AFP reported, saying that such arms were contrary to the Islamic Republic's religious values.
"We regard production of weapons of mass destruction as contrary to our religious, human and national principles," AFP quoted Vahidi as saying, citing a report on Iran's Fars news agency. "Manufacturing nuclear weapons is not, and has never been, on our agenda."
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Wake up America...the boy who cried wolf at Iraq is now in denial with the real wolf at the door...offering nada and getting just what it wants....time....Israel is nobody's canary in the mineshaft.. remember Amidinijad's "not just the tail of the dog do we want"
Iran has no choice, but to get whatever it asks for. Obama is too busy with healthcare to confront Iran in any way (not that he is much interested anyway). Clearly, US will make the best possible oil deal with Iran it can strike. It will allow Iran to stop 1 screwdriver short of bomb (like Japan, Germany, Italy) - in exchange for help in Iraq and Afhanistan, and no pulling the rug under the Saudi oil carpet.
"The Iranians have a responsibility to the international community to walk away from their illicit nuclear weapons program," Gibbs added. "That's what the focus from our side will be in these talks, and that's our goal." Robert Gibbs That's fair. After Iran proves to President Obama that they don't have a weaponized nuclear program they can finally be left in peace. And the right wing war-mongers can stop with the "N" word. No more Israeli smoke, mirrors, and threats. Peace, peace, peace. Salaam/Shalom
The latest statements from Iran show that the regime is waking up to the fact that its plans have gone wrong. As recently reported in Haaretz most military experts have come around to recognising that the IDF is capable of an effective self-defence operation over Iran. That is why the Iranian position has changed from pretending that the nuclear issue does not exist. The rulers of Iran will soon realise, if they have not already, that their own people will not fight for the murderers and rapists who have stolen their votes. The mullah is still stalling for time but his arrogance is becoming less confident. In the end Iran, with or without the mullah, will end the nuclear program and agree to peace and normal relations with Israel.
think for a second if they were our neighbors , like Canada. I'd be a little scared. I know my friends here won't like what i'm sugesting but it could be dangerous letting them go nuclear.
The world's longest running drama is back for the fall season. With a new cast and a revamped storyline. Even A.Q. Khan will make a cameo appearance. The season premier opens at the UN in a few weeks.... and what a show it will be. Little Ahmad..... headlining as the Axis of Evil. With a European cast as an existential force. While the fiendish Russians and Chinese try to squeeze-out a few more lucrative business deals. And the Emir states, in their flowing robes will portray the victims in this saga. Little Israel as the agent provocateur and of course America, mounted on a white horse. Trying to spoil the Atomic Ayatollah's quest of the nuclear Genie.
Israel reacting to this like a child who wants destruction and thrives over instability and peace. Israel waits for chaos to expand it illegal settlements. let them talk, lets get this nuclear stand-off cooled down, at least its in my interest as a human being who wants advancement rather than destruction!
We will talk to North Koreans, but we will not talk to Iran since Iran possess 10 thousand nuclear weapons, because Iran massacred 2 million Viets, 2 million Koreans, because Iran bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki, because Iran attacked Iraq and killed another 2 million as pass time, then Iran overturned many security council resolutions, then Iran removed and thrown out democratically elected American Government in 1953, then Iran agreed to let India has free nuclear technology even though India is not a signatory of NPT, then Iran provides shelter to 300 nuclear weapons of Zionist criminals. Yes, America is right not to talk Iran on any issue.
iran is buying time and the u.s. is selling time. the seller is getting a lousy bargain.
I wonder why the US and the other Western nations all seem to think, based on their evaluations, that Iran is intent on developing the bomb. One of the worlds biggest oil producers, now building refineries, needs atomic power? Must be a Mossad plot.
You've seen reactors churning out uranium? If you don't know the difference between a reactor and a refinement plant, you might save yourself some embarrassment by not posting on subjects like this. Or at least not trying to sound knowledgeable while you are at it.
Thank you Jesus. Reread that last paragraph. Obama is the President of the United States and he is going to act in the interest of the United States to wind down the ill advised adventurism of the Bush / Neo-con disaster. Iran can be a big help in doing that. Absent some rogue action by Israel, they ain't gonna be no bombs a fallin on Iran. America gonna partner with Iran and from there the moon.
And yet again, Iran clearly bypasses all the Israeli hawks - and enters into another round of discussions, while the reactors continue to churn Uranium. Been there seen that.
Iran did not need to clarify that it will talk to the West about everything and anything besides its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs. Only fools would believe that Iran is willing to discuss the nuclear issue.