Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
New York Times
December 27, 2006
Pg. 3
By Nazila Fathi
TEHRAN, Dec. 26 — Parliament began debate on Tuesday on how to respond to sanctions imposed by a United Nations Security Council resolution on Saturday, but two high-level officials said they doubted that Iran would bar nuclear inspectors and drop out of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.
Before the Security Council vote, hard-line politicians and conservative newspapers in Iran had called for taking those strong actions.
Kazem Jalali, an influential member of Parliament and its foreign policy committee, said it did not appear to be the right time to bar United Nations’ inspectors or withdraw from the treaty, although he reserved Iran’s right to do so later.
Muhammad Saeedi, the deputy leader of the country’s Atomic Energy Organization, doubted a majority in Parliament wanted to pull out.
“They are upset about the resolution, but Parliament will make a reasonable decision,” he said.
The Security Council resolution is meant to curb Iran’s nuclear program and bans the import and export of materials and technology used in uranium enrichment, reprocessing and ballistic missiles. The resolution, weaker than what the United States proposed, has been debated in the United Nations since Iran ignored Council calls to suspend nuclear activities by Aug. 31.
Iran says its nuclear program is allowed under the treaty and is intended for domestic energy production. The United States and others contend that the program is a cover for a plan to produce nuclear bombs.
The discussions in Parliament were at an early stage on Tuesday, and no consensus was reached about what action should be taken, if any.
Newspapers here have been prohibited from criticizing Iran’s nuclear policy, and none have done so.
But this week, several moderate newspapers indicated in editorials that the sanctions might have a greater economic effect than the government had acknowledged. Iran’s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has vowed that the sanctions will not prevent the country from proceeding with its nuclear program.
An editorial on Tuesday in the daily, Aftab-e-Yazd, said an “unreasonable and emotional” reaction to the sanctions could be very dangerous.
December 27, 2006
Pg. 3
By Nazila Fathi
TEHRAN, Dec. 26 — Parliament began debate on Tuesday on how to respond to sanctions imposed by a United Nations Security Council resolution on Saturday, but two high-level officials said they doubted that Iran would bar nuclear inspectors and drop out of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.
Before the Security Council vote, hard-line politicians and conservative newspapers in Iran had called for taking those strong actions.
Kazem Jalali, an influential member of Parliament and its foreign policy committee, said it did not appear to be the right time to bar United Nations’ inspectors or withdraw from the treaty, although he reserved Iran’s right to do so later.
Muhammad Saeedi, the deputy leader of the country’s Atomic Energy Organization, doubted a majority in Parliament wanted to pull out.
“They are upset about the resolution, but Parliament will make a reasonable decision,” he said.
The Security Council resolution is meant to curb Iran’s nuclear program and bans the import and export of materials and technology used in uranium enrichment, reprocessing and ballistic missiles. The resolution, weaker than what the United States proposed, has been debated in the United Nations since Iran ignored Council calls to suspend nuclear activities by Aug. 31.
Iran says its nuclear program is allowed under the treaty and is intended for domestic energy production. The United States and others contend that the program is a cover for a plan to produce nuclear bombs.
The discussions in Parliament were at an early stage on Tuesday, and no consensus was reached about what action should be taken, if any.
Newspapers here have been prohibited from criticizing Iran’s nuclear policy, and none have done so.
But this week, several moderate newspapers indicated in editorials that the sanctions might have a greater economic effect than the government had acknowledged. Iran’s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has vowed that the sanctions will not prevent the country from proceeding with its nuclear program.
An editorial on Tuesday in the daily, Aftab-e-Yazd, said an “unreasonable and emotional” reaction to the sanctions could be very dangerous.