http://www.debka.com/article/22032/Netanyahu-Barak-refuse-to-see-US-official-with-negative-report-on-Baghdad-talks
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report May 26, 2012, 10:25 AM (GMT+02:00)
US Hard Line in Failed Iran Talks Driven by Israel
http://www.timesofisrael.com/iran-rebuffs-proposals-to-curb-nuclear-program/
http://news.antiwar.com/2012/05/24/western-leaders-reject-iranian-proposal-for-wider-access-for-un-inspectors/
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/05/2012525144410755737.html
Iran and the P5+1 - the U.S., Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany – are in Baghdad for talks about Iran’s nuclear program. While an agreement has not yet been reached, negotiations reportedly “did not appear in danger of collapse.”
http://www.debka.com/article/22024/Israel-revives-military-option-after-Obama-rejects-its-nuclear-demands-of-Iran
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report May 24, 2012, 9:23 AM (GMT+02:00)
http://news.antiwar.com/2012/05/23/baghdad-summit-extends-to-second-day-as-iran-p51-trade-offers/
Iran offered a “five-point plan” based on the language of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Exact terms of the offer were not publicly available, but the proposal did emphasize that Iran would retain the right to civilian enrichment of uranium under the NPT.
http://news.antiwar.com/2012/05/22/us-officials-iaea-iran-deal-wont-interrupt-sanctions/
Responding to the reported IAEA-Iran deal on Tuesday, White House spokesman Jay Carney called the IAEA agreement with Iran ”a step in the right direction,” but said the U.S. would “make judgments about Iran’s behavior based on actions, not just promises or agreements.”
http://hat4uk.wordpress.com/2012/05/23/iran-getting-close-to-agreement-on-nuclear-threat-5/
IAEA chief Yukiya Amano said after talks with chief Iranian nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, “the decision was made… to reach agreement” on the mechanics of giving the IAEA additional access to the sites – including the Parchin military site – and documents it seeks to restart its probe, Amano told reporters at Vienna airport on Tuesday.
DEBKAfile Special Report May 23, 2012, 6:23 PM (GMT+02:00)
Netanyahu, Barak refuse to see US official with negative report on Baghdad talks
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report May 26, 2012, 10:25 AM (GMT+02:00)
State's Wendy Sherman, senior US delegate to world power talks with Iran
The rupture between the US and Israel over Iran’s nuclear program widened further Friday, May 25 when Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak decided not to be available to hear the briefing brought to Jerusalem from Baghdad by Undersecretary of State Wendy Sherman who headed the US delegation to the Six Power talks. The report she delivered to National Security Adviser Yaakov Amidror and Foreign Ministry Director-General Rafi Barak was that no progress had been achieved in Baghdad due to Iran’s refusal to budge on its “right” to enrich uranium at low (3.5-5 percent) or high (20 percent) levels or shut down the Fordo nuclear plant near Qom.
Although the participants agreed to reconvene in Moscow in three weeks, the Iranian delegation stressed there would be no progress until the US and the other five world powers (Britain, France, Russia, Germany and China) recognized Iran’s absolute “right” as a signatory of the Non-Proliferation Treaty to enrich uranium.
Although the participants agreed to reconvene in Moscow in three weeks, the Iranian delegation stressed there would be no progress until the US and the other five world powers (Britain, France, Russia, Germany and China) recognized Iran’s absolute “right” as a signatory of the Non-Proliferation Treaty to enrich uranium.
Meanwhile, every day spent on diplomacy is thoroughly exploited by Iran to zip ahead with its nuclear plans. The Vienna-based UN nuclear watchdog (IAEA)’s quarterly report released Friday reveals that since February Iran almost doubled its stockpile of more highly enriched uranium which is close to weapons grade from 73.4 to 145 kilograms.The centrifuges at the Fordo facility, built into the side of a mountain, rose to over 500 from 300 in the last report.
Using the IAEA figures, DEBKAfile calculates that if Fordo goes on producing 23.9 kilograms of 20-percent enriched uranium per month, Iran will by the end of December have accumulated 336 kilograms of near-weapons quality uranium.
The IAEA also reported that Iran’s stockpile of uranium enriched to less than 5 per cent grew to 6,232 kilograms from 5,451 reported in February.
The IAEA also reported that Iran’s stockpile of uranium enriched to less than 5 per cent grew to 6,232 kilograms from 5,451 reported in February.
Its inspectors recorded “the presence of particles” of 27 per cent-enriched uranium at Fordo. Iran maintained the particles were a result of “technical reasons beyond the operator’s control.”
The IAEA report was released a day after talks between Tehran and the six powers ended without progress.
Iran’s senior delegate Saeed Jalili declared that his government would never accept the Washington-ruled distinction between two categories of nations – one permitted and the other forbidden to enrich uranium. He claimed this was against international treaties.
Iran’s senior delegate Saeed Jalili declared that his government would never accept the Washington-ruled distinction between two categories of nations – one permitted and the other forbidden to enrich uranium. He claimed this was against international treaties.
Friday, the Washington Post quoted Mohammad Hoseyn Moussavian of Princeton University as revealing that in 2004, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said, “I would resign if for any reason Iran is deprived of its rights to enrichment.”
Moussavian is presented as an Iranian academic visiting Princeton to lecture and write a book on the Iranian nuclear issue. DEBKAfile reveals that he was the contact man in one of the direct, back-channel negotiations taking place in Paris between the White House and Khamenei. His words therefore were intended to carry weight as a reminder to Obama that the supreme leader, like the US president, intended to come out of their dialogue strengthened – not undermined. And therefore, for both their sakes, Washington must endorse Iran’s “right to enrichment.”
Tehran presented a second ultimatum for the nuclear talks to continue: phased sanctions relief, starting with the postponement of the European Union’s oil embargo scheduled for July 1 until the end of negotiations and the reconnection of Iranian banks to the SWIFT international money transfer system.
The gap between Israel and the Obama administration widened in the course of Washington’s direct, secret give-and-take with Tehran. In early April, Defense Minister Barak reported that Israel offered some compromise on the enrichment issue. DEBKAfile disclosed at the time that Israel had informed Washington of its approval of a “1,000 formula.” Iran would be permitted to activate 1,000 centrifuges for enrichment and keep 1,000 kilograms of 3.5-per cent enriched uranium.
The Netanyahu government backtracked when this concession was used by US officials as a lever for further accommodations with Iran.The direct US-Iran channel and the second round of Six Power talks with Iran have clearly left the standoff over Iran’s nuclear solidly in place: Iran stands by its right to enrich uranium up to weapons grade, the US stands by diplomacy, however hopeless, for resolving the controversy, while Israel demands a time limit for negotiations. Its military option was put back on the table for so long as Iran’s enrichment centrifuges continue spinning at top speed.
Moussavian is presented as an Iranian academic visiting Princeton to lecture and write a book on the Iranian nuclear issue. DEBKAfile reveals that he was the contact man in one of the direct, back-channel negotiations taking place in Paris between the White House and Khamenei. His words therefore were intended to carry weight as a reminder to Obama that the supreme leader, like the US president, intended to come out of their dialogue strengthened – not undermined. And therefore, for both their sakes, Washington must endorse Iran’s “right to enrichment.”
Tehran presented a second ultimatum for the nuclear talks to continue: phased sanctions relief, starting with the postponement of the European Union’s oil embargo scheduled for July 1 until the end of negotiations and the reconnection of Iranian banks to the SWIFT international money transfer system.
The gap between Israel and the Obama administration widened in the course of Washington’s direct, secret give-and-take with Tehran. In early April, Defense Minister Barak reported that Israel offered some compromise on the enrichment issue. DEBKAfile disclosed at the time that Israel had informed Washington of its approval of a “1,000 formula.” Iran would be permitted to activate 1,000 centrifuges for enrichment and keep 1,000 kilograms of 3.5-per cent enriched uranium.
The Netanyahu government backtracked when this concession was used by US officials as a lever for further accommodations with Iran.The direct US-Iran channel and the second round of Six Power talks with Iran have clearly left the standoff over Iran’s nuclear solidly in place: Iran stands by its right to enrich uranium up to weapons grade, the US stands by diplomacy, however hopeless, for resolving the controversy, while Israel demands a time limit for negotiations. Its military option was put back on the table for so long as Iran’s enrichment centrifuges continue spinning at top speed.
US Hard Line in Failed Iran Talks Driven by Israel
by Gareth Porter, May 26, 2012
Negotiations between Iran and the United States and other members of the P5+1 group in Baghdad ended in fundamental disagreement Thursday over the position of the P5+1 offering no relief from sanctions against Iran.
The two sides agreed to meet again in Moscow Jun. 18 and 19, but only after Iran had threatened not to schedule another meeting, because the P5+1 had originally failed to respond properly to its five-point plan.
The prospects for agreement are not likely to improve before that meeting, however, mainly because of an inflexible U.S. diplomatic posture that reflects President Barack Obama’s need to bow to the demands of Israel and the U.S. Congress on Iran policy.
The U.S. hard line in the Baghdad talks and the failure to set the stage for an early agreement with Iran means that Iran will not only increase but accelerate its accumulation of 20-percent enriched uranium, which has been the ostensible reason for wanting to get Iran to the negotiating table quickly.
Iran’s enrichment to 20 percent, which Tehran has justified over the past two years as needed by its Tehran Research Reactor to produce medical isotopes, can be turned into high enriched uranium more quickly than the 3.5 percent enriched uranium for Iran’s nuclear power program.
But although Iran has let it be known that it is open to making a deal to end its 20 percent enrichment and even to let go of its stockpile if offered the right incentive, the Obama administration has opted not to go for such a deal by refusing to offer any corresponding reduction in sanctions.
The U.S. demand for the closure of the Fordow facility, which is now under surveillance by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), was a direct response to pressure from Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that demand one of his "benchmarks" for the talks on Mar. 2.
In discussions with the U.S. in late March, Defense Minister Ehud Barak insisted on the closure of Fordow as one of the Israeli demands, as he revealed Apr. 4. That was a quid pro quo for Israeli acceptance of a focus in the first stage on halting Iran’s uranium enrichment to 20 percent rather than demanding an end to all uranium enrichment, as Reuters reported Apr. 4.
That agreement clearly implied that the Obama administration would do nothing to dismantle any sanctions against Iran unless Iran ended all uranium enrichment.
The administration’s refusal to entertain any removal of sanctions as part of its diplomatic strategy with Iran also recognized the fact that it would have to pay a steep political price merely to request any change in sanctions legislation and would be unlikely to prevail over the deeply entrenched interests of Israel in both houses.
After being lobbied by 12,000 activists attending the conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) in March, the House of Representatives passed a resolution demanding a policy of preventing Iran from having a "nuclear weapons capability" by a vote of 401-11.
The U.S. understandings with Israel were sharply at odds with a deal with Iran based on a "step by step" approach which had been proposed by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Under that approach, each move by Iran to satisfy Western concerns about its nuclear program should be rewarded by a relaxation of sanctions.
As Michael Adler revealed in The Daily Beast Mar. 7, however, the Obama administration was unwilling to reduce sanctions gradually as the Russians wanted. Adler’s account implied that it could only come at the end of the process in response to a complete suspension of all uranium enrichment by Iran as a "confidence building measure".
For Iran, 20 percent enrichment has been largely an exercise in increasing its bargaining leverage with the United States by creating a level of enrichment that the U.S. has said is threatening.
Iran has made a series of policy statements since it began that enrichment suggesting that the objective has been to trade those bargaining chips for negotiating concessions that would benefit Iran – mainly moves to reduce sanctions and the recognition of its right to enrich.
The demand that the 20 percent enrichment be ended and that Fordow facility be closed without any easing of economic sanctions would represent a double diplomatic defeat which Iran has strenuously rejected.
"Giving up 20 percent enrichment levels in return for plane spare parts is a joke," Iranian analyst Hasan Abadini was quoted as saying.
There was some discussion before the Baghdad meeting, initiated by Europeans, of at least offering to suspend a European ban on insuring oil tankers, which threatens some of Iran’s oil trade with Asian countries, in conjunction with a deal, according to the New York Times May 18. But that was evidently rejected by Washington.
The U.S. rejection of the "step by step" approach in favor of a stance that leans heavily toward Israeli preferences leads to apparent contradictions in U.S. policy.
That stance is sharply at odds with the official U.S. stance suggesting ending Iran’s 20 percent enrichment is an urgent requirement. A senior U.S. official was quoted by Associated Press Thursday as saying, "We are urgent about this, because every day we don’t figure this out, they keep going forward with a nuclear program."
The contradiction was further highlighted by reports that Iran is further increasing its capability for 20 percent enrichment at the Fordow facility. A Reuters story from Vienna Thursday said that Iran may have already put 350 more centrifuges into Fordow since February, on top of the almost 700 already operating there.
Associated Press reported a senior U.S. official in Baghdad explaining that sanctions were likely to increase the pressure on Iran to agree to U.S. terms in the next round of talks. "Maximum pressure is not yet being felt by Iran," the official was quoted as saying.
But few diplomatic observers believe that Iran’s Supreme Leader, who makes the crucial decisions, could afford to bow to the U.S. demands as presented in Baghdad.
Meanwhile, the U.S. strategy of drawing out the talks to wait for the impact of sanctions to work on the Iranians allows Iran to continue adding "facts on the ground".
Ironically, U.S. strategists have argued publicly in the past that Iran was using negotiations to "play for time" while it increased its nuclear capabilities.
In another seeming contradiction between U.S. diplomatic posture and its declared interest in ensuring that Iran prove the non-military character of its nuclear program, U.S. officials dismissed as irrelevant the news that Iran and IAEA Director General Yukia Amano are close to an agreement on the terms of Iranian cooperation in clarifying allegations of past nuclear weapons work.
A "senior U.S. official" said the United States welcomed the signs of progress, but then carefully differentiated the purpose of the P5+1 negotiations and those of the IAEA, according to Al-monitor May 22.
"The IAEA is about accounting for the past and for naming what is," the official explained. "It is not about what is the nature of Iran’s nuclear program and what will Iran’s nuclear program look like going forward, and will it be peaceful."
That statement abruptly reversed previous U.S. insistence that Iran’s cooperation with the IAEA represented a central element in a diplomatic settlement of the conflict over Iran’s nuclear program
The idea that U.S. negotiations with Iran would not be affected by whatever it did to prove allegations of past nuclear weapons work wrong implies that Washington is firmly committed to its present diplomatic course mainly in order to placate Israel and the U.S. Congress.
and....
http://www.timesofisrael.com/iran-rebuffs-proposals-to-curb-nuclear-program/
AGHDAD — Iranian negotiators on Thursday rejected proposals by six world powers to curb Tehran’s nuclear program, and demanded answers to their own counteroffer meant to alleviate concerns about the Islamic Republic’s ability to build atomic weapons.
The impasse underscored the difficulties facing the nuclear talks as both sides staked out their terms and agendas for a second day in the Iraqi capital. Envoys added extra hours to their meetings as a sandstorm closed down the Baghdad airport. Talks were set to wrap up later Thursday.
Proposals for another round next month also met with initial resistance from Iran, which is pushing for a venue not considered supportive of Western sanctions. The Mehr Iranian news agency reported on Thursday afternoon that agreement had been reached on a next round in Geneva, but a few hours later diplomats said that the next round of talks will be held in Moscow on June 18-19.
The open channels between Iran and the six-nation bloc — the five permanent Security Council members plus Germany — are seen as the most hopeful chances of outreach between Washington and Tehran in years. They also could push back threats of military action that have shaken oil markets and brought worries of triggering a wider Middle East conflict.
Israeli leaders have been critical of the talks, claiming the process allows Iran to buy time and drive a wedge between Washington and Jerusalem.
An unnamed Iranian diplomat was quoted by Mehr accusing the P5+1 negotiators, and especially the Americans, of using “language and phrases very similar to those employed by Israeli government leaders” — an approach that created obstacles, he said.
On Wednesday, Israel’s Defense Minister Ehud Barak said even possible moves by Iran to open its nuclear facilities to greater UN inspection did not rule out a possible Israeli military strike.
Saeed Jalili, Iran’s top nuclear negotiator, demanded an overhaul to the plan put forward by the world powers after the Baghdad talks began Wednesday. An Iranian diplomat involved in the discussions said the package falls far short of a compromise.
Iran went into the talks seeking that the West scale back on its sanctions, which have targeted Iran’s critical oil exports and have effectively blackballed the country from international banking networks.
Jalili conveyed his concerns in a private meeting Thursday with European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, who is formally leading the talks.
Ashton’s spokesman, Mike Mann, called the negotiations “tough,” but said that “some progress was made.”
At the heart of the issue are two different proposals. On one side is an incentive package by the six-nation group — the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany — that seeks to halt the most sensitive part of Iran’s nuclear fuel production.
Iran, in turn, wants the U.S. and Europe to ease harsh economic sanctions on its oil exports in return for pledges to give wider access to U.N. inspectors and other concessions.
The West and its allies fear Iran’s nuclear program could eventually produce atomic weapons. Iran insists its reactors are only for energy and research.
A senior US official predicted the pace of the talks — which began last month in Istanbul — would speed up in upcoming rounds.
“We are urgent about it, because every day we don’t figure this out is a day they keep going forward with a nuclear program,” said the US official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the negotiations more candidly. “And there are all kinds of assessments about how long it will take them to get there.”
“We still think we have some time for diplomacy, but it’s not indefinite,” the official said.
Iranian analyst Hassan Abedini called the proposal put forward by the U.S. and its allies unbalanced and filled only with old plans that Tehran dismissed years ago.
The Western package calls on Tehran to halt the production of 20 percent enriched uranium, which is the highest grade publicly announced by Iran and used for the country’s lone medical research reactor. Western leaders fear the material — far above the 3.5 percent enrichment needed for energy-producing reactors — can be turned into warhead grade in a matter of months.
In exchange, the world powers offered benefits, including medical isotopes, some nuclear safety cooperation and spare parts for civilian airliners that are needed in Iran.
But they snubbed Iranian calls for an immediate easing of significant economic sanctions imposed on Tehran for flouting U.N. Security Council resolutions that demand the suspension of all enrichment.
“Giving up 20 percent enrichment levels in return for plane spare parts is a joke,” said Abedini. “The package is unbalanced and therefore unacceptable.”
and.....
http://news.antiwar.com/2012/05/24/western-leaders-reject-iranian-proposal-for-wider-access-for-un-inspectors/
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/05/2012525144410755737.html
| IAEA finds higher enrichment at Iran bunker | |||||||||
Traces of nuclear material could indicate drive to produce weapons, as diplomats give details of report to be released.
Last Modified: 25 May 2012 17:11
| |||||||||
European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton heads a meeting between Iran and six world powers [Reuters]
| |||||||||
The United Nations atomic agency has found evidence at an underground bunker in Iran that could mean the country has moved closer to producing the uranium threshold needed to arm nuclear missiles, diplomats have said.
The International Atomic Energy Agency has found traces of uranium enriched up to 27 per cent at the Fordow enrichment plant in central Iran, the diplomats told the Associated Press on Friday.
That is still substantially below the 90 per cent level needed to make the fissile core of nuclear arms.
But it is above Iran's highest-known enrichment grade, which is close to 20 per cent, and which already can be turned into weapons-grade material much more quickly than the Islamic Republic's main stockpile, which can only be used for fuel at around 3.5 per cent.
The diplomats, who demanded anonymity because their information is privileged, said the find did not necessarily mean that Iran was covertly raising its enrichment threshold toward weapons-grade level.
They said the centrifuges that produce enriched uranium could have over-enriched at the start as technicians adjusted their output, an assessment shared by nonproliferation expert David Albright.
Albright, whose Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security looks for signs of proliferation, said a new configuration at Fordow means its tends to "overshoot 20 per cent" at the start.
"Nonetheless, embarrassing for Iran," he wrote in an email to the AP.
Calls to Ali Asghar Soltanieh, Iran's chief delegate to the IAEA, were rejected and the switchboard at the Iranian mission said he was not available.
IAEA media officials also said the agency had no comment on the latest report.
Strict sanctions
Iran is under several rounds of UN sanctions for its failure to disclose information on its controversial nuclear programme.
Tehran says it is enriching uranium to provide more nuclear energy for its growing population, while the US and other nations fear that Iran doing that to have the ability to make nuclear weapons.
The latest attempts to persuade Iran to compromise and let UN experts view its nuclear programme ended inconclusively on Wednesday at a meeting in Baghdad.
At the talks, six nations - the US, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany - failed to persuade Tehran to freeze its 20 per cent enrichment. Envoys said the group will meet again next month in Moscow.
Iran started enriching uranium to 20 per cent last year, mostly at Fordow, saying it needed the material to fuel a research reactor and for medical purposes.
Still, its long-standing refusal to stop enrichment and accept reactor fuel from abroad has sparked fears it wants to expand its domestic programme to be able to turn it toward making weapons.
Those concerns have increased since it started higher enrichment at Fordow, which is carved into a mountain to make it impervious to attack from Israel or the United States, which have not ruled out using force as a last option if diplomacy fails to curb the Islamic Republic's nuclear programme.
Inconclusive talks
Iran went into Wednesday's talks urging the West to scale back on recently toughened sanctions, which have targeted Iran's critical oil exports and have effectively blackballed the country from international banking networks.
The 27-nation European Union is set to ban all Iranian fuel imports on July 1, shutting the door on about 18 per cent of Iran's market.
Saeed Jalili, Iran's top nuclear negotiator, offered a lukewarm assessment of Wednesday's negotiations, in light of European and American refusal to lift tough sanctions against Iran as Tehran had hoped.
"The result of the talks was that we were able to get more familiar with the views of each other," Jalili told reporters.
In Washington, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said significant differences remain between the two sides and that it's now up to Iran "to close the gaps".
"Iran now has the choice to make: Will it meet its international obligations and give the world confidence about its intentions or not?" Clinton said.
and.....
http://www.infowars.com/house-passes-hr-4133-binding-the-us-to-israel-and-their-war-agenda/
House Passes HR 4133 Binding the US to Israel and Their War Agenda
Susanne Posel
Infowars.com May 25, 2012
Without any mainstream media coverage at all, the House of Representatives passed the United States – Israel Enhanced Security Cooperation Act of 2012 (USIESC).
 The USIESC, written by Eric Cantor , claims there is a need to provide Israel with unlimited military and financial aid as a result of the disturbances caused by the Arab Spring.
Israel will have an essentially unlimited amount of funds allocated to them through the Federal Reserve Bank. The country will also enjoy an “expanded role of NATO” that consists of an “enhanced presence at NATO headquarters and exercises”.
The USIESC pledges the US government’s “commitment” to assist Israel in remaining a Jewish State; as well as protection from the UN if the UN Security Council resolves to hold Israel accountable to international laws.
The US government’s counter-terrorism unit will also aid Israel by any means.
This USIESC asserts that “supported by the American people” the US government will “repeatedly affirm the special bond between the United States and Israel” and that the two countries have “shared values and shared interests.”
If there were ever language to suppose that there were a merging of these two nations, the USIESC fits that bill.
The Executive Summary of USIESC says that “the following actions to assist in the defense of Israel” are:
(1) Provide Israel such support as may be necessary to increase development and production of joint missile defense systems, particularly such systems that defend the urgent threat posed to Israel and United States forces in the region.
(2) Provide Israel assistance specifically for the production and procurement of the Iron Dome defense system for purposes of intercepting short-range missiles, rockets, and projectiles launched against Israel.
(3) Provide Israel defense articles and defense services through such mechanisms as appropriate, to include air refueling tankers, missile defense capabilities, and specialized munitions.
(4) Allocate additional weaponry and munitions for the forward-deployed United States stockpile in Israel.
(5) Provide Israel additional surplus defense articles and defense services, as appropriate, in the wake of the withdrawal of United States forces from Iraq.
(6) Strengthen efforts to prevent weapons smuggling into Gaza pursuant to the 2005 Agreement on Movement and Access following the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and to protect against weapons smuggling and terrorist threats from the Sinai Peninsula.
(7) Offer the Israeli Air Force additional training and exercise opportunities in the United States to compensate for Israel’s limited air space.
(8) Expand Israel’s authority to make purchases under the Foreign Military Financing program on a commercial basis.
(9) Seek to enhance the capabilities of the United States and Israel to address emerging common threats, increase security cooperation, and expand joint military exercises.
(10) Encourage an expanded role for Israel within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), including an enhanced presence at NATO headquarters and exercises.
(11) Support extension of the long-standing loan guarantee program for Israel, recognizing Israel’s unbroken record of repaying its loans on time and in full.
(12) Expand already-close intelligence cooperation, including satellite intelligence, with Israel.
USIESC goes on to claim that: “Iran, (3) which has long sought to foment instability and promote extremism in the Middle East, is now seeking to (4) exploit the dramatic political transition underway in the region to undermine governments traditionally aligned with the United States and support extremist political movements in these countries.”
On the contrary, Israel and the US have been the biggest proponents of violence toward unprovoked nations in recent times. The collaboration of the US, Israel and NATO, with help from CIA operatives al-Qaeda and other US funded terrorist groups, have synthesized fake revolutions (i.e. the Arab Spring) to destabilize foreign governments and force regime changes.
Right now, al-Qaeda is being used by the Obama administration to force the Syrian President out of office through repeated attacks and massive killing of innocent Syrians.
In Africa, specifically the south Sudan region, Obama has teamed up with Israel to create the new nation of South Sudan by using terrorism to force their current government out.
USIESC continues its assault on Iran: “At the same time, (5) Iran may soon attain a nuclear weapons capability, a development that would fundamentally threaten vital American interests, destabilize the region, encourage regional nuclear proliferation, further empower and embolden Iran, (6) the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism, and (7) provide it the tools to threaten its neighbors, including Israel”.
Although publicly, both the Obama administration and the Israeli government have admitted that Iran has absolutely no intention of building nuclear weapons. Both governments assume that by using words like “they may” or “they might” denotes a definite intention to do so.
The Mullahs that have ultimate authority in Iran have stated numerous times that the acquisition and use of nuclear weapons goes against the law of Islam. Independent studies, outside of the US and Israeli reach, have also confirmed that not only does Iran not have nuclear weapons at present, but are not perusing their allocation.
To justify the fabricated “need” to assist Israel in remaining “safe” the USIESC states : “As a result, (8) the strategic environment that has kept Israel secure and safeguarded United States national interests for the past 35 years has eroded.”
At the present time, Israel is in possession of an estimated 200 – 300 nuclear weapons. They are the covert superpower of the world. Israel also enjoys one of the most intensive and explicit armies in the world. While Israel continues to invade the sovereign nations that surround them, they are not being invaded themselves.
The USIESC is a propaganda piece of legislation designed to set the stage for full military support of Israel when they launch an unprovoked strike against Iran. While now, there are campaigns to coerce a fake grassroots effort to force a regime change in Iran, the inevitability of war declarations are looming in the distance.
China and Russia have made it clear that they have absolutely no intention of ending their relations with Iran.
The distractions in the mainstream media concerning Obama are just that. The sudden inflation of gay rights in the political arena and other nonsensical and unimportant social memes are being touted as if they will define our nation.
The USIESC has clearly set a precedent and definition of who America is.
The Obama administration, under careful control of the global Elite, is consolidating powers with Israel in a joint effort to take over the world . . . by toppling one government at a time.
and....
| |||||||||
Western leaders on Thursday rejected proposals by Iranian nuclear negotiators to alleviate concerns about Iran’s nuclear program, while Iran rejected an incentive package from the six world powers.
Iran and the P5+1 - the U.S., Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany – are in Baghdad for talks about Iran’s nuclear program. While an agreement has not yet been reached, negotiations reportedly “did not appear in danger of collapse.”
The Western offer calls on Tehran to halt the production of 20 percent enriched uranium, which is the highest grade produced by Iran and used for the country’s lone medical research reactor. In exchange, the world powers offered benefits, including delivery of the medical isotopes Iran is creating with the 20 percent enriched uranium, some spare parts for civilian airliners that are needed in Iran, among other things.
But Western leaders rejected Iranian request for an immediate easing of harsh economic sanctions in return for promises to give wider access to U.N. inspectors, among other concessions.
Iranian analyst Hassan Abedini called the Western proposal unfair. ”Giving up 20 percent enrichment levels in return for plane spare parts is a joke,” said Abedini. “The package is unbalanced and therefore unacceptable.”
The sanctions that have been heaped on Iran are quite serious and far-reaching. They have already damaged the economy severely, facilitating increased unemployment and rampant inflation. The purpose behind them seems to be to harass and intimidate leaders in Tehran as opposed to being punishment for some unlawful act.
The fact is that the Obama administration, and the whole of the U.S. intelligence community, knows full well that Iran is not developing nuclear weapons and has not demonstrated any intention to do so.
Even the top brass of the Obama administration and military leadership, from Defense Secretary Leon Panetta to Director of National Intelligence James Clapper to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey have publicly declared that Iran is not pursuing nuclear weapons.
So despite the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program and despite Iran’s demonstrated cooperation with the international inspections regime, Western powers – led by the U.S. – refuse to ease the sanctions in return for even more access for U.N. inspectors.
and.....
http://www.debka.com/article/22024/Israel-revives-military-option-after-Obama-rejects-its-nuclear-demands-of-Iran
Israel revives military option after Obama rejects its nuclear demands of Iran
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report May 24, 2012, 9:23 AM (GMT+02:00)
A fateful decision is reached on Iran
Israel has withdrawn its pledge to US President Barack Obama not to strike Iran’s nuclear sites before the November presidential election after he rejected its minimal demands for nuclear negotiations with Iran. This is reported exclusively by DEBKAfile’s Washington sources.
In public, Israeli ministers still talk as though they believe in results from the Six-Power talks with Iran, which Thursday May 24 limped into their second day in Baghdad with the parties still miles apart. But the presidential veto has essentially cast Israel outside the loop of influence on the outcome of diplomacy.
When Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak met US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta at the Pentagon on May 17 he was told that Obama had rejected Israel’s toned-down demands for Iran to at least to halt high-grade uranium enrichment, export its stocks of material enriched higher than 3.5 percent grade and shut down production at the Fordo nuclear plant near Qom. For six months, the Obama administration tried to sweeten the bitter pill of this rejection by bumping up security aid. The latest appropriation covered another $70 million for manufacturing more Iron Dome short-range missile interceptors.After talking to Panetta, Barak turned to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and National Security Adviser Tom Donilon in the hope of winning their support for softening Obama’s ruling. Clinton replied she was not involved in the negotiations with Iran and Donilon, that a personal decision by the president was not open to change.
When Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak met US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta at the Pentagon on May 17 he was told that Obama had rejected Israel’s toned-down demands for Iran to at least to halt high-grade uranium enrichment, export its stocks of material enriched higher than 3.5 percent grade and shut down production at the Fordo nuclear plant near Qom. For six months, the Obama administration tried to sweeten the bitter pill of this rejection by bumping up security aid. The latest appropriation covered another $70 million for manufacturing more Iron Dome short-range missile interceptors.After talking to Panetta, Barak turned to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and National Security Adviser Tom Donilon in the hope of winning their support for softening Obama’s ruling. Clinton replied she was not involved in the negotiations with Iran and Donilon, that a personal decision by the president was not open to change.
A week of consultations followed the defense minister’s return home, during which it was decided to tear up Israel’s pledge to refrain from attacking Iran during the US presidential campaign. Wednesday, May 23, the day the Baghdad talks began, Barak signaled Washington to this effect.
It was conveyed in a little-noticed early morning radio interview with the defense minister. To make sure his words reached the proper address without misunderstandings, the defense minister’s office issued a verbatim English translation from the Hebrew:
"There is no need to tell us what to do, and we have no reason to panic. Israel is very, very strong, but we do know that the Iranians are accomplished chess players and will try to achieve nuclear capabilities. Our position has not changed. The world must stop Iran from becoming nuclear. All options remain on the table."
It was conveyed in a little-noticed early morning radio interview with the defense minister. To make sure his words reached the proper address without misunderstandings, the defense minister’s office issued a verbatim English translation from the Hebrew:
"There is no need to tell us what to do, and we have no reason to panic. Israel is very, very strong, but we do know that the Iranians are accomplished chess players and will try to achieve nuclear capabilities. Our position has not changed. The world must stop Iran from becoming nuclear. All options remain on the table."
As the Baghdad talks went around in circles, Israel’s military option was put back firmly on the table and on the US-Iranian chessboard.
and...
http://news.antiwar.com/2012/05/23/baghdad-summit-extends-to-second-day-as-iran-p51-trade-offers/
Iran, UN Trade Offers as Nuclear Summit Extended
Progress, But No Signs of Breakthrough
by Jason Ditz, May 23, 2012
Officials have extended the P5+1 talks with Iran in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad for another day, with reports of meaningful progress being made but no breakthroughs yet.
Iran offered a “five-point plan” based on the language of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Exact terms of the offer were not publicly available, but the proposal did emphasize that Iran would retain the right to civilian enrichment of uranium under the NPT.
The P5+1 proposal made a number of demands on Iran, including abandoning all enrichment of uranium at 20 percent (used for its medical isotope activity at the US-built Tehran Research Reactor). TheP5+1 was clear that its proposal did not include any reduction of sanctions.
A likely portion of any deal would be the exchange of Iran’s existing 20% enriched stockpile for fuel for the TRR. Such a deal was reached in a previous round of talks, before the US eventually vetoed it. Iran has claimed some success in making fuel rods itself for the TRR, but it is clear they would prefer to outsource it to a nation like Russia.
and....
http://news.antiwar.com/2012/05/22/us-officials-iaea-iran-deal-wont-interrupt-sanctions/
US Officials: IAEA-Iran Deal Won’t Interrupt Sanctions
Does Washington's maneuvering mimic its backing out of the diplomatic process in 2010?
by John Glaser, May 22, 2012
In the first official reaction to the forthcoming deal between Iran and the UN’s nuclear watchdog, U.S. officials gave a nod to the diplomatic success, but made clear that it did not mean Washington intended to let up its pressure on Iran.
Responding to the reported IAEA-Iran deal on Tuesday, White House spokesman Jay Carney called the IAEA agreement with Iran ”a step in the right direction,” but said the U.S. would “make judgments about Iran’s behavior based on actions, not just promises or agreements.”
Carney added that the U.S. would continue to put heavy pressure on Iran and planned to move ahead with sanctions the harsh economic sanctions. “We’re not at the stage of negotiating what Iran would get in return for fulfillment of its obligations, beyond the general principle, which is they would be able to rejoin the community of nations,” he said.
State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said, “Obviously, we fully support IAEA efforts to try to resolve the outstanding issues,” but “the implementation is what we’re going to be looking for…in order to determine whether Iran’s program is exclusively for peaceful purposes.”
Official language about Iran failing “to convince the world community that it is not pursuing the weaponization of nuclear power,” as President Obama said last week, is pure rhetoric designed to stave off criticism from Israel and Republicans that the administration is soft on Iran.
The fact is that the Obama administration, and the whole of the U.S. intelligence community, knows full well that Iran is not developing nuclear weapons, has not demonstrated any intention to do so, and stopped all weaponization activities a decade ago.
Even the top brass of the Obama administration and military leadership, from Defense Secretary Leon Panetta to Director of National Intelligence James Clapper to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey have publicly declared that Iran is not pursuing nuclear weapons.
So despite the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program and despite Iran’s demonstrated cooperation with the international inspections regime, U.S. officials are hurried to announce pressure and coercion are ongoing. Vice President Joe Biden reiterated this when he explained on Monday in a meeting with Jewish communal leaders that punitive sanctions – for a crime Iran has not committed – won’t be sacrificed to the negotiating process.
The sanctions that have been heaped on Iran are quite serious and far-reaching. They have already damaged the economy severely, facilitating increased unemployment and rampant inflation. The purpose behind them seems to be to harass and intimidate leaders in Tehran as opposed to being punishment for some unlawful act.
When the Obama administration kickstarted the diplomatic process with Iran back in 2009, it ended as soon as Iran acquiesced and agreed to Washington’s demands in a deal brokered by Turkey and Brazil. One hopes Washington’s reminiscent maneuvering is not an indication that these current diplomatic efforts will end similarly.
and....
IRAN: ‘Getting close to agreement’ on nuclear threat?
Is youz a baddy?
A senior UN executive told the media yesterday that he saw “good signs that the Iranians are prepared to temper their aims and negotiate on the subject of their nuclear projects”.
Later that same day, Iran’s military chief-of-staff, Major General Hassan Firouzabadi (above) gave a speech affirming that:
“The Iranian nation is standing for its cause, and that is the full annihilation of Israel”.
Just under two hours later, the Supreme Religious Ayatollah Khamenei leader opined as follows:
“The Zionist regime is a real cancerous tumour that should be cut and will be cut, God Willing”.
Cue lots of barmy comment threaders telling me that these statements have been ‘misinterpreted’.
and ....
http://news.antiwar.com/2012/05/22/iran-iaea-broker-nuclear-deal-as-israel-calls-it-deception/
Iran, IAEA Broker Nuclear Deal as Israel Calls It ‘Deception’
Israel's reaction indicates it is not interested in Iran's nuclear program, only in increasing tensions
by John Glaser, May 22, 2012
A deal has been reached between Iran and the IAEA on further probing and inspections of Iran’s nuclear program, after the nuclear watchdog’s chief spent Monday negotiating in Tehran.
IAEA chief Yukiya Amano said after talks with chief Iranian nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, “the decision was made… to reach agreement” on the mechanics of giving the IAEA additional access to the sites – including the Parchin military site – and documents it seeks to restart its probe, Amano told reporters at Vienna airport on Tuesday.
Amano said differences existed on “some details,” without elaborating but added that Jalili had assured him that these “will not be an obstacle to reach agreement.” He spoke of “an almost clean text” that will be signed “quite soon,” although he could not say when specifically.
The diplomatic breakthrough comes just one day before negotiations between six world powers and Iran take place in Baghdad. The Obama administration has yet to comment on the impending nuclear deal, but the President has in recent days employed rhetoric that is clearly constructed to seem tough against his Republican contender for the 2012 campaign
Iran’s “ inability thus far to convince the world community that it is not pursuing the weaponization of nuclear power is of grave concern to all of us,” Obama said in a joint statement released after meeting with the Group of Eight at Camp David.
But Obama knows better, and is himself convinced, along with his entire administration and the whole of the intelligence community, that Iran is not developing nuclear weapons.
Obama’s bluster may also be catering to Israel, whose defense minister angrily condemned the nuclear deal brokered by Jalili and Amano. Defense Minister Ehud Barak said the Iranians are trying to create a “deception of progress” to avoid pressure ahead of the P5+1 talks this week.
The Israelis have been leading an effort to shift the demand from preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons to prohibiting Iran from developing any nuclear energy at all for peaceful purposes. They, and other hawks in the U.S., succumbed to the evidence that Iran has demonstrated no nuclear weapons ambitions, so are focusing instead on what Iran is doing, namely developing peaceful nuclear energy as is their right.
The Israeli condemnation of the increased international inspections of Iran’s peaceful nuclear program is an indication that Israel is not interested in the true nature of Iran’s nuclear program, only in advocating for unprovoked war and distracting the world from its policies of expansion and expulsion in the Palestinian territories.
and while the US is backing off from its sanctions regime , no everyone sees things that way.....
http://www.debka.com/article/22022/
Japan breaks oil embargo against Iran before Baghdad talks end
DEBKAfile Special Report May 23, 2012, 6:23 PM (GMT+02:00)
EU executive Catherine Ashton with Iran's negotiator Saeed Jalili
A senior official in Tokyo announced Wednesday, May 23, that the Japanese government will seek parliamentary approval for a bill allowing Japanese firms to insure tankers carrying Iranian oil to Asia if European insurers refused to do so. The new law would apply to 16 Iranian tankers in the first stage.
This decision means that any intention to stiffen the oil embargo against Iran, as Israel had expected, was virtually voided even before the resumed nuclear talks ended between the six powers and Iran in Baghdad. Instead of taking place under the shadow of tougher sanctions, the oil embargo had begun falling apart and a major disincentive for Iran to continue its drive for a nuclear bomb was fading.
Still, without any real grounds, European coordinator Catherine Ashton and IAEA head Yukiya Amano were openly optimistic about the outcome of the current round of talks. In this, they backed US President Barack Obama’s expectation of successful negotiations with Iran and his advocacy of continuing diplomacy in contrast to his earlier remarks this month that the window for negotiations was closing.
By spreading good cheer, Ashton and Amano obscured the real state of play with Iran. Amano said Tuesday that a deal for inspections would soon be signed with Iran although he didn’t know when. Now it appears that there was no deal.And all Ashton’s spokesman would say was, "I am not going to go into the details of what we are proposing, but of course we are putting proposals on the table that are of interest to Iran."
This decision means that any intention to stiffen the oil embargo against Iran, as Israel had expected, was virtually voided even before the resumed nuclear talks ended between the six powers and Iran in Baghdad. Instead of taking place under the shadow of tougher sanctions, the oil embargo had begun falling apart and a major disincentive for Iran to continue its drive for a nuclear bomb was fading.
Still, without any real grounds, European coordinator Catherine Ashton and IAEA head Yukiya Amano were openly optimistic about the outcome of the current round of talks. In this, they backed US President Barack Obama’s expectation of successful negotiations with Iran and his advocacy of continuing diplomacy in contrast to his earlier remarks this month that the window for negotiations was closing.
By spreading good cheer, Ashton and Amano obscured the real state of play with Iran. Amano said Tuesday that a deal for inspections would soon be signed with Iran although he didn’t know when. Now it appears that there was no deal.And all Ashton’s spokesman would say was, "I am not going to go into the details of what we are proposing, but of course we are putting proposals on the table that are of interest to Iran."
Israeli ministers who urged the world powers to make tough demands of Iran and impose stiff penalties were clearly talking through their hats. Japan is not alone in helping Iran beat the toughest sanction, the embargo on its oil exports, India and Turkey were in there first. They were all essentially signaling Tehran that its inflexibility in negotiations would not rate serious punishment because some of the threatened sanctions are no longer workable.
No comment was forthcoming from US official sources on the developments around the Baghdad talks Wednesday. Other American sources close to the Obama administration, such as Dennis Ross, the president’s former adviser on Iran, warned Tuesday, May 22, on the eve of the resumed talks not to expect any breakthrough or dramatic progress. R
No comment was forthcoming from US official sources on the developments around the Baghdad talks Wednesday. Other American sources close to the Obama administration, such as Dennis Ross, the president’s former adviser on Iran, warned Tuesday, May 22, on the eve of the resumed talks not to expect any breakthrough or dramatic progress. R
oss stressed that Tehran would get no sanctions relief until uranium enrichment is discontinued – and not only the 20-percent grade but lower levels too.
Russia and the UK, alone of the powers (the others are the US, France, Germany, China) represented in Baghdad, spoke openly about the possible failure of the meeting and the outbreak of war with Iran in consequence.
The Russians again warned Tehran that the West is using the screen of negotiations for a conspiracy to set a military trap. In London, just before the talks began, British ministers were warned of their likely breakdown and were reported to have prepared “contingency plans” for a possible conflict between Israel and Iran.
Some sources reported that under discussion was British military and diplomatic aid to Israel, in particular the deployment of Royal Navy vessels on Israel’s coast.
Russia and the UK, alone of the powers (the others are the US, France, Germany, China) represented in Baghdad, spoke openly about the possible failure of the meeting and the outbreak of war with Iran in consequence.
The Russians again warned Tehran that the West is using the screen of negotiations for a conspiracy to set a military trap. In London, just before the talks began, British ministers were warned of their likely breakdown and were reported to have prepared “contingency plans” for a possible conflict between Israel and Iran.
Some sources reported that under discussion was British military and diplomatic aid to Israel, in particular the deployment of Royal Navy vessels on Israel’s coast.
and....
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304019404577419142185267670.html
SEOUL—A South Korean official said media reports this week "aren't factual" that suggested South Korea would stop importing crude oil from Iran in the next couple of months regardless of whether cutting off such imports are requested by the U.S. and the European Union.
South Korea is "doing its best" to obtain an exemption from Iran-related U.S. sanctions and to gain access to the EU's insurance services for oil shipments from Iran after July 1, when EU sanctions are due to start, the official ...
and.....
http://oilprice.com/Energy/Crude-Oil/No-One-Can-Afford-Another-Round-of-Iran-Sanctions.html
As Iran and the P5+1 prepare to meet in Baghdad on 23 May for the next round of nuclear talks, Europe should be seriously considering the implications of its planned sanctions on Iranian oil scheduled to be implemented on 1 July. Obama certainly is considering this.
Greece is collapsing and the entire Euro zone is in trouble. A newly elected French President Francois Hollande is a very important confidante for US President Barack Obama, and together they have plans to save Europe – particularly Greece and the Eurozone – with or without Germany’s cooperation.
These ambitious plans, which must see some results before US elections in November, will be thwarted if Europe goes through with its 1 July sanctions on Iranian oil. Though Washington cannot at this point start publicly expressing the desire that Europe back down on the sanctions plans, the Obama administration knows the result of those European sanctions with be higher oil prices and could spell his doom, along with the Eurozone’s.
Saber-rattling aside, everyone (except Israel) wants to cut a deal in Baghdad. The heavy-handed sanctions that are already in place are having an effect, and there is no need to add a new round of European sanctions in July. Hopefully, Baghdad will make this clear.
Iran is hurting under sanctions. Sources on the ground in Iran tell Oilprice.com that while the situation is not as dire as it is being portrayed in the Western media, things are bad and getting worse. Inflation is soaring, with food prices increasing anywhere from 25 to 125 percent on different items. Fuel prices are also soaring, while unemployment is at about 35 percent.
The Iranian government is subsidizing food and fuel and handing out cash subsidies to as much as 60 percent of the population. Meanwhile, lawmakers are battling in parliament over whether to cut subsidies that the budget cannot handle much longer. So far, those opposed to cutting subsidies have won out, clearly holding out hope that the Baghdad talks will lead to a relaxation of sanctions.
If Europe goes forward with its 1 July sanctions, the situation will worsen exponentially. But the window of opportunity is now, in Baghdad, while there is still room for diplomacy.
Among the deals the West could put on the table, despite Israel’s objections, are a stay for the 1 July European sanctions, and a reversal of European sanctions on insurance for tankers transporting Iranian petrochemicals, which is supposed to be extended to oil in July. The Obama administration will not remove sanctions as a result of Baghdad, but it could promise an incremental relaxation in return for a commitment from Iran.
Ahead of Baghdad, the G-8 summit on 20 May adopted the Camp David Declaration, which indicates that this is the way things are progressing. The declaration text was conciliatory, calling on “Iran to seize the opportunity that began in Istanbul, and sustain this opening in Baghdad by engaging in detailed discussions about near-term, concrete steps that can, through a step-by-step approach based on reciprocity, lead towards a comprehensive negotiated solution which restores international confidence that Iran's nuclear program is exclusively peaceful.”
A number of statements by Iranian officials, too, herald some positive development – or at least signal that (almost) all sides are prepared to stave off an immediate crisis. Particularly, Iran is preparing its public for negotiations that could be perceived as compromise, stressing that any of these compromises would be victorious for Iran.
The bottom line is that Obama cannot afford another round of sanctions on Iran, at least not in the run-up to elections. Europe, of course, cannot afford anything. If Israel can be kept from blowing its top, the Obama administration will do everything in its power to ensure that the “Iran situation” does not reach any dangerous climax over the next six months.
No comments:
Post a Comment