Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
Wall Street Journal
May 3, 2008
Pg. 2
By Jay Solomon
WASHINGTON -- Following months of stalled nuclear talks with Tehran, the U.S. and other world powers are offering new economic incentives to Iran in the hope of gaining its willingness to freeze an accelerating program to develop a nuclear-fuel cycle, say U.S. and European officials.
In particular, the package will sweeten a previous offer made by Washington and the other powers in 2006 to aid Iran's development of civilian nuclear energy, but with the processing of nuclear fuel likely to occur outside Iran, these officials say.
The new offer to Iran, which is still being fine-tuned, is also likely to include purely economic incentives, such as greater trade in certain high-tech and agricultural goods. Officials said they couldn't offer a full listing as negotiations are continuing.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met Friday in London with the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany to discuss Iran's nuclear program. British Foreign Secretary David Miliband briefed reporters after the meeting and said he hoped that Iran "will recognize the seriousness and the sincerity with which we have approached this issue and that they will respond in a timely manner."
The U.S. and these other world powers first made an overture toward Iran in May 2006 to provide economic incentives in return for Iran freezing its nuclear activities and agreeing to enter into a dialogue with the international community. The Bush administration believes Tehran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons under the guise of a peaceful nuclear-energy program, which Tehran denies.
The initial proposal from the U.S. and its partners recognized Iran's right to develop civilian nuclear technologies and pledged to help Tehran build proliferation-resistant light-water reactors. The initial incentives also included greater trade in civil aircraft, energy, high-technology and agriculture.
Iran spurned this initial offer and has announced significant advances in recent weeks in its program to produce highly enriched uranium, a nuclear fuel that could be used in building an atomic weapon. The U.N. Security Council has enacted three rounds of economic sanctions against Iran in response to its refusal to suspend its nuclear activities.
May 3, 2008
Pg. 2
By Jay Solomon
WASHINGTON -- Following months of stalled nuclear talks with Tehran, the U.S. and other world powers are offering new economic incentives to Iran in the hope of gaining its willingness to freeze an accelerating program to develop a nuclear-fuel cycle, say U.S. and European officials.
In particular, the package will sweeten a previous offer made by Washington and the other powers in 2006 to aid Iran's development of civilian nuclear energy, but with the processing of nuclear fuel likely to occur outside Iran, these officials say.
The new offer to Iran, which is still being fine-tuned, is also likely to include purely economic incentives, such as greater trade in certain high-tech and agricultural goods. Officials said they couldn't offer a full listing as negotiations are continuing.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met Friday in London with the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany to discuss Iran's nuclear program. British Foreign Secretary David Miliband briefed reporters after the meeting and said he hoped that Iran "will recognize the seriousness and the sincerity with which we have approached this issue and that they will respond in a timely manner."
The U.S. and these other world powers first made an overture toward Iran in May 2006 to provide economic incentives in return for Iran freezing its nuclear activities and agreeing to enter into a dialogue with the international community. The Bush administration believes Tehran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons under the guise of a peaceful nuclear-energy program, which Tehran denies.
The initial proposal from the U.S. and its partners recognized Iran's right to develop civilian nuclear technologies and pledged to help Tehran build proliferation-resistant light-water reactors. The initial incentives also included greater trade in civil aircraft, energy, high-technology and agriculture.
Iran spurned this initial offer and has announced significant advances in recent weeks in its program to produce highly enriched uranium, a nuclear fuel that could be used in building an atomic weapon. The U.N. Security Council has enacted three rounds of economic sanctions against Iran in response to its refusal to suspend its nuclear activities.