Politics Information

Another Round of EU-Iran Talks Starts April 10 - Will Iran Be Referred To The UN Security Council?


Iran's objection to ratifying the International Atomic Energy Agency's Additional Protocol of the IAEA is said to be the main obstacle to dispelling fears that it is not building a nuclear weapon. Iranian and EU officials meet April 10 to try to resolve a stalemate in their negotiations over this issue. If they fail, the EU will likely support the US and refer the case to the UN Security Council.

At the moment, Iran is unwilling to ratify the Additional Protocol because of agreement between the EU and the US on its interpretation; none of the two settle for anything less than that inspectors see Iran destroy a wide arsenal of nuclear fuel-cycle capabilities that it has been building on and off since the Shah was driven out in 1979. It would also have to abandon all its projects to enrichment, reprocess and convert uranium as well as its heavy-water production.

One option that Iran might be willing to buy into -even if only partially- would be to compensate Iran for giving up the right to produce reactor fuel. Under this construction, major nuclear suppliers including Russia, the United States, and certain European countries would provide a binding guarantee for Iran to receive fuel-cycle services-the supply of fresh reactor fuel as well as retrieval and storage of spent fuel-on a commercial basis for any nuclear power reactors that it builds as long as it meets its commitments.

This option is disfavored by the US, which wants Iran to cease all nuclear operations full stop. Earlier negotiations between Europe and Iran stalled. The EU countries conducting them indicated that they might support the U.S. intention to hand the issue over to the UN Security Council. This means that military force is not excluded if Tehran does not accept the demand to make its current nuclear halt permanent.

Observers say that the best hopes to avoid this during the negotiations starting 10 April will be a focus on strengthening rather than discarding the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), to which Iran is a signatory. This is very much in line with traditional 'soft' EU foreign policy. Some observers fear that the US cooperation with the EU on the issue means that the EU is alienated from its earlier standpoint.

The Additional Protocol allows for intrusive inspections by the IAEA on a no-notice basis. Iran no doubt will argue here that this means reconfirming and beginning implementation of the obligations the NPT imposes on nuclear weapons states such as the U.S., Britain, France, China and Russia to move towards full nuclear disarmament.

Angelique van Engelen is a freelance writer. She has lived for over three years in the Middle East. She runs http://www.contentclix.com and also contributes to a weblog http://clixyPlays.blogspot.com. She can be emailed via angeliqueve@contentclix.com

  


MORE RESOURCES:

USA Today

Eric Holder's Politics
Wall Street Journal - 15 hours ago
One of the media narratives about the Bush Administration has been its "politicization" of the Justice Department. We've always thought most of that was ...
Holder pardon makes Dems squirm MLive.com
Obama's attorney general pick: Good on privacy? CNET News
Attorney Scott Horton on “Justice After Bush: Prosecuting an ... Democracy Now
Human Events - Democracy Now
all 409 news articles


The Money Times

Religion and politics: Big issues behind a little ornament
Seattle Post Intelligencer - 16 hours ago
Any political messages, from either side, are inappropriate. axis 42: To those of you insisting that a Chritmas tree is no place for a political message, ...
Video: Raw Video: White House Christmas Tree Arrives AssociatedPress
Bush Didn't Sell His Soul For Politics OneNewsNow
Vt. Artists Part of White House Christmas Tree WCAX
Salon - Seattle Post Intelligencer
all 314 news articles


BBC News

Don't let politics overtake appointment
Albany Times Union, NY - 5 hours ago
Hillary Rodham Clinton's Senate seat and less concerned with the appointee's politics. In these historically trying times, it is imperative to have someone ...
Obama's cabinet picks shake up NY, AZ politics The Associated Press
Dynastic Politics Lives in New York American Spectator
NY Governor Keeping Mum About Any Early Favorites Washington Post
Examiner.com - Glens Falls Post-Star
all 410 news articles


Washington Post National Political Reporter
Washington Post, United States - 1 hour ago
Don't want to miss out on the latest in politics? Start each day with The Post Politics Hour. Join in each weekday morning at 11 am as a member of The ...


Mortgage Plan Prompts More Bailout Politics
The Washington Independent, DC - 2 hours ago
More bailout politics, anyone? The core problem with such a plan, according to a few secondary market experts HW spoke with, is that mortgage rates have ...


Washington Post

Governor Talks Politics, Marriage
Tampa Tribune, FL - 12 hours ago
By CATHERINE DOLINSKI Gay rights activists are planning to demonstrate outside your wedding and reception to protest the gay marriage ban that passed in ...
Senator says politics didn't force his hand, but analysts disagree Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Open Florida Senate Seat Draws Spotlight to Jeb Bush CQPolitics.com
An interview with Bob Dole Tufts Daily
Tampabay.com - Washington Post
all 807 news articles


Namibia: An Appeal for Tolerance in Namibian Politics
AllAfrica.com, Washington - 6 hours ago
More recently, we gained international recognition for the smooth transition from the Founding President to the second President after a robust political ...


Times Online

Thai court bans prime minister, ruling party from politics
Christian Science Monitor, MA - Dec 2, 2008
The parties' leaders, including Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat, have been banned from politics for five years. The announcement came hours after an ...
Video: Thailand Airport Shutdown Enters 3rd Day AssociatedPress
Thai PM Accepts Verdict Disbanding Parties, Banning Him from Politics Voice of America
Thai PM banned from politics as court disbands ruling party Daily Nation
Sin Chew Jit Poh - Los Angeles Times
all 8,353 news articles


ABC News

Inside Politics
Washington Times, DC - 16 hours ago
"In 2002 and 2004, Republicans ran hard on social issues and the courts - and scored victories at every level of politics. In 2006 and 2008, they left those ...
Video: Ga. Senate Race Last Big Contest of 2008 AssociatedPress
The entry titled "It's good to get things out in the open. Now ... Atlanta Journal Constitution
POWER POLITICS HEAT UP GEORGIA SENATE RUNOFF Facing South
U.S. News & World Report - New York Times
all 2,741 news articles


Post-Election Spiritual Politics
Spero News - 3 hours ago
There is a proliferation of study centers focusing on the inter-connection of religion and politics - most on them on the Left. By Stephanie Block Since the ...

politics - Google News

Article List | Index | Site Map
All logos, trademarks and articles on this site are property and copyright of their respective owner(s).
The comments are property of their posters, all the rest is Copyright © 2006 CanadaSEEK.com - All Rights Reserved.