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The Quiet before the Sanctions
// World powers study Iran's response
Official reactions to Tehran's response to the proposals of the Six began to be heard from the world powers on Tuesday. In spite of the fact that Iran rejected the UN Security Council demand that it stop enriching uranium, not even the United States has reacted with strong words yet. The cautious promise of the Six to study Tehran's response does not mean that Iran will find its way out of the crisis without conflict. Iran has already won its first victory of steadfastness. Spain has come out in support of the Iran's right to develop its nuclear program.
Although the official response to the proposals of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany was received by representatives of those countries two days ago, the details of what that response contained in that lengthy document remains confidential. Observers are forced therefore guess at the contents based on leaks. A number of leading Western media, citing diplomatic sources, reported that the Iranian authorities' August 22 response to the Six's proposals contained a “new formula” for settling the crisis and expressed Iran's readiness to stop enriching uranium temporarily and begin new negotiations. Sources also say that Iran still refuses the demand that it fully stop enriching uranium saying that that is unacceptable.
In Iran, officials and state media have unleashed a campaign to show that they Iranians have made serious proposals to the West. In Tehran's logic, it has shown “good will,” and now “the ball is in the other court.” Mohammad Saidi, adviser to the Iranian Organization for Atomic Energy, commented yesterday that “Iran's response represents an exceptional chance to renew negotiations and a conclusive decision.”
The world powers are taking a wait-and-see attitude. They are not commenting on Tehran's self-advertising campaign, nor are they saying anything sharp about how Iran has not accepted the key demand of the UN Security Council, that is, to stop enriching uranium by August 31. Official White House spokesman Dan Perino refused to comment on the contents of the Iranian document, preferring to “leave it to the diplomats” and making it clear that the Bush administration was not prepared for an immediate reaction against Iran. The U.S. State Department is also keeping mum. It became known yesterday, however, that U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice cut her vacation short ad returned to Washington to study the Iranian situation.
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan made a statement yesterday that also implied that more time was needed to analysis the 21-page Iranian document. European Commissioner Javier Solana and official representatives of the Six made similar statements. Official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Mikhail Kamynin called on his foreign colleagues to “understand the nuances and determine whether it is possible to continue to work with Tehran on the basis of the known package of proposals of the six countries.”
The first signs that the world power powers would not be able to maintain a united front emerged yesterday. The division of the Six into the good police and bad police remains. The latter include not only Washington, but Paris as well after it made a harshly-worded statement about Tehran yesterday. French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy did not limit himself to talking about the need to analyze Iran's response, but added that there will be no more indulgences of the country. “The Iranians know the rules of game. First they should stop enriching uranium,” he said.
The Six will be in consultations soon that will lead to final clarity on the issue of the degree of the world powers' readiness to take a common position on the Iranian problem. They have to take into consideration a whole range of factors, including the overall Middle Eastern situation and how it will change as a result of the Israeli operation in Lebanon and Iran's growing influence in the region.
Iran has already scored one victory in its battle of principles with the West. Maximo Cajal, personal representative of Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, announced yesterday that his country has changed its policy toward to Iran and will support Iran's right to a nuclear program. In an interview with Spanish national radio, Cajal based that position on the other countries of the regions, India and Pakistan, that long ago developed nuclear programs. “Iran has the full right to work on a nuclear program, as its neighbors have,” Cajal said. He added immediately that “Spain tried, like the other countries of the EU, to convince Tehran to give up its own nuclear program.”
Sergey Strokan
All the Article in Russian as of Aug. 24, 2006
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