PARIS, 21 January 2005 — If the Iraq war divided Europe, the continent is united in calling for continued negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program after US President George W. Bush refused to rule out possible military action. “In the view of the German government, there is no alternative to these discussions,” chief government spokesman Bela Anda told reporters in Berlin, a view echoed by officials in Paris.
“These talks are being held with our German and British partners, in perfect consultation with the United States and our other European partners,” said a spokeswoman for the French foreign ministry. The European Union’s “big three” — Britain, France and Germany — are in the midst of crucial talks with Iran aimed at finding a long-term solution that would assuage international fears about Tehran’s controversial nuclear program. Their efforts have led to the temporary suspension of Iran’s uranium enrichment program.
Iran vehemently denies it is developing nuclear weapons, insisting that its activities are merely directed at generating electricity, but Washington claims that the program is instead a cover for the development of the atomic bomb.
“The fact that the Americans are not excluding the use of military force is not new in principle, but doesn’t necessarily indicate that there are concrete attack plans,” said Karsten Voigt, Germany’s point man for German-US relations. Analysts and diplomats even suggested that Europe and the United States could be working together to keep up pressure on the Islamic republic.
“The United States has a hard line but I think its ultimate line is to have the European efforts succeed. It is a good cop-bad cop approach,” said an Asian diplomat close to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). “I would say that dangling a stick can be an effective diplomatic tool when used in conjunction with a few carrots,” said another diplomat close to the Vienna-based UN nuclear watchdog.
British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, referring to the different EU and US tactics, told the Financial Times: “Those who said we’d be split apart by the Iranians are wrong.”
“Those who said we could not build up a degree of trust with the Iranians — at the same time as building up a strong consensus with the US and the non-aligned countries — are wrong,” Straw added.
US President George W. Bush said on Monday he could not rule out a resort to military action if the United States failed to persuade Iran to abandon a nuclear energy program it charges is a cover for developing the atomic bomb. “I hope we can solve it diplomatically, but I won’t ever take any option off the table,” Bush said. Then, US Secretary of State-designate Condoleezza Rice called for world action to keep Iran from building nuclear weapons, and repeated a threat to haul Tehran before the UN Security Council for possible sanctions.
In Brussels, the European Commission said it would pursue diplomatic negotiations as long as possible. “The goal is a militarily non-nuclear Iran. We are as Europeans working through a process of engagement to attain that goal... We hope that there will be no need to consider any other option,” said spokeswoman Emma Udwin.
Iran’s visiting President Mohammad Khatami warned the United States in Kampala yesterday that his country would defend itself from any hostile US action, as the war of words between Tehran and Washington escalated. Khatami said such a move could not possibly benefit the American people and reminded Washington that it had its hands full in neighboring Iraq where the “relentless killing of people and destruction of civilian homes” continues.
“If any country tries to invade our country, we are strong enough to defend ourselves,” Khatami said. “No one will benefit from an attack on our country, including the United States or others.”
The state news agency IRNA quoted Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi as saying his government would answer any US menace, adding: “We are not afraid of that country’s threats.” Kharrazi, who is accompanying Khatami, was quoted as saying that Washington was using “psychological warfare” against Iran.
Kharrazi said Washington had “initiated a psychological game in order to influence us, but we have experience in this field ... the Iranian nation will not show weakness in the face of threats, and will defend its interests.” Iran vehemently denies it is developing nuclear weapons, insisting that its nuclear program is merely directed at generating electricity.
The UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, has been investigating Iran for two years.
