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World Leaders Agree To Reopen Nucelar Talks With Iran

Catherine Green |
March 6, 2012 | 10:19 a.m. PST

Executive Producer

EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton, pictured here in February 2011. (Wikimedia Commons)
EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton, pictured here in February 2011. (Wikimedia Commons)
A group of key world powers agreed Tuesday to reopen nuclear talks with Iran, which had been shelved for more than a year.

The decision comes during a two-day visit to the U.S. by Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has made clear that his country considers Iran its greatest enemy. President Barack Obama urged Netanyahu Monday to commit to a diplomatic approach in relations with the country.

European Union Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton issued a statement Tuesday in response to a Feb. 14 letter from Iran's nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, which proposed new discussions. According to The New York Times, Ashton acted on behalf of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council—the U.S., Russia, China, France and Britain—and Germany.

From The Times:

In a response on Tuesday to Mr. Jalili’s proposal, Ms. Ashton said the European Union hopes that Iran “will now enter into a sustained process of constructive dialogue which will deliver real progress in resolving the international community’s longstanding concerns on its nuclear program.” The timing and location of the talks have not been announced.

…“Our overall goal remains a comprehensive negotiated, long-term solution which restores international confidence in the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program, while respecting Iran’s right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy,” the letter said.

Western leaders maintain that the program is designed to give Tehran a nuclear weapons capability. Iran says the program is for peaceful purposes.

But should those stated peaceful purposes prove insincere, the U.S. will not hesitate to take military action to stop Iran from getting access to a nuclear weapon, said Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.

From Reuters:

"Military action is the last alternative when all else fails," he told the annual policy conference of the biggest U.S. pro-Israel lobbying group. "But make no mistake, when all else fails, we will act."

Just before Panetta spoke, three Republicans seeking their party's nomination to run against President Barack Obama in the November 6 election seemed to try to outbid each other in their own show of support for the Jewish state at the same conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

Panetta, a former director of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, ticked off several examples of Obama's willingness to use force to support U.S. national security interests, including having sent Special Operations forces hundreds of miles into Pakistan to kill al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in May.

"As the President has made clear, the United States does not bluff," Panetta said. "In this town, it's easy to talk tough. Acting tough is a hell of a lot more important."

As of Tuesday morning, there were still conflicting reports regarding whether Iran would allow International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors to visit a military complex at Parchin. According to a November report by the agency, Iran had built a large containment vessel at the site to test the feasibility of explosive compression. Such tests were deemed "strong indicators of possible weapon development."

Iran has resisted inspections in the past. According to The Times, a report by one of the country's news agencies said Iran had reversed its refusal, but Iran representatives at IAEA said the offer was conditional and limited to just two of the five areas inspectors had requested to see. The agency has said it will continue to engage country officials in dialogue to "restore international confidence in the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear activities."

 

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