EU Stands Firm on Nuclear Freeze, Iran Backs Down

[Rose Siding]

VIENNA (Reuters) - Iran backed down in the face of fierce international pressure on Friday and dropped its demand for changes to a key agreement designed to reassure the world that Tehran does not want nuclear weapons.

Last week, Iran promised the European Union (news - web sites) it would halt all activities related to uranium enrichment, a process that creates atomic fuel for power plants or weapons, in a bid to neutralize the threat of economic sanctions.

But the ink on the hard-won accord was barely dry when Tehran demanded an exemption for some 20 enrichment centrifuges for research purposes. Western diplomats said this was impossible and could only deepen suspicions that Tehran has a secret weapons program, as Washington alleges.

"They (Iran) have agreed to drop the demand and (the EU) are awaiting confirmation that a letter has been given to (U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei) confirming this," the diplomat told Reuters. A second Western diplomat confirmed it.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=574&ncid=1276&e=3&u=/nm/20041126/wl_nm/nuclear_iran_dc

[Tempest]

1. Looks like Bush will have to find another reason to attack

I wonder what lie will be next?

Mass graves?

[Deja Q]

2. Or a different country, despite Iran's closer proximity.

Oh well.

[Straight Shooter]

3. Reason? We don't need no steenkin' reason!

See, that's the funny thing about being a dictator -- I mean president. I don't have to answer no steenkin' questions about my steenkin' plans no more. God speaks through me. At least he did for the last four years. Now I am God.

Reasons? Don't need no steenkin' reasons.

[BattyDem]

4. So ...

The EU solved the problem with diplomacy and good, old-fashioned "pressure" - not a single bomb was dropped ... not a single life was lost. Hmmmm ... are you paying attention, Junior? :eyes:

I'm sick of being the bully on the block! :mad:

[ArthurDent]

5. Exemption?

What? They want to run 20 centrifuges? How is that backing down?

[billyoc]

6. They dropped the 20 centrifuges,

as the article states.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

7. So they're not surrender monkies.

Any word on their cheese eating?

[Gloria]

8. Prior to this new development...heard a long report on all this

on the BBC World Serice Newshour....upshot of it was that Iran has been trying to buy time...the delay has been to buy time, they are just about done with the development of their nuke. They have places hidden all over the country for R & D so that they can't be knocked out by air strikes.

They are tough customers.