Comments on: Poll: Iranians Willing to Forego Nuclear Weapons in Return for Normalizing Relations

By: Richard Silverstein

Richard Silverstein — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 08:15:16 +0000

I agree that the demand that Iran give up enrichment is bogus. Israel also demands ending enrichment. It’ll never happen. But demanding it makes Iran look bad when it refuses & that’s what Israel wants.

By: Richard Silverstein

Richard Silverstein — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 08:14:07 +0000

Iran has already agreed to “intrusive international inspections” to ensure that its not making nukes. It is called the IAEA. That’s the whole purpose of the existence of IAEA inspections. And they have concluded for many years that there’s no evidence of a nuclear weapons program in Iran.

There are diff. levels of IAEA inspections & the ones for Iran are not intrusive. I’m about to write a post about Iran tonight & one of the pieces of it will be Robert Wright’s op ed in the Times yesterday in which he suggested that Iran actually agree to intrusive inspections as part of a deal to normalize relations.

Can you point me to any statement verifying that Iran has offered to ratify the Additional Protocol?? Wright says that it hasn’t. If so, why it would require U.S. approval for it to sign? Unless you’re saying that Iran is willing to sign as part of a deal w. the U.S. which is possible.

By: Laurence

Laurence — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 08:08:34 +0000

The analysts who suggest that the Iranian opposition could be a factor in the equation are not very good at analysing.

The Revolutionary Guard have such a financial vested interest in remaining part of the power bloc that they would never allow this to happen.

In fact there is a greater likelihood of the Guard seizing power from the Ayatollahs than of the opposition gaining power.

By: hass

hass — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 05:58:09 +0000

Iran has already suspended the right to make nuclear weapons — it is called the Nonproliferation Treaty. However the US is demanding that Iran give up enrichment too, which is a right recognized by the same treaty (and guaranteed not only to iran but also many other countries that have rejected US attempts to create a monopoly over enrichment.)

By: hass

hass — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 05:55:07 +0000

Sorry Richard but you should not fall for the spin placed on the survey. The survey itself asked about enrichment, not nuclear weapons, and the Iranian responses clearly favored keeping enrichment. Furthermore, Iran has already agreed to “intrusive international inspections” to ensure that its not making nukes. It is called the IAEA. That’s the whole purpose of the existence of IAEA inspections. And they have concluded for many years that there’s no evidence of a nuclear weapons program in Iran. In fact Iran has allowed more inspections than required, and has offered to sign and ratify the Additional Protocol which would allow more stringent inspections (something Egypt, Argentina, brazil and others have flatly refused) but the US keeps insisting that Iran should have no enrichment capability, no matter how well inspected it may be.

By: Shirin

Shirin — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 02:07:10 +0000

You are so right, Ilene. And Bashshar has made repeated overtures to Israel and the U.S., and has been rebuffed each time, despite Obama’s lukewarm gestures. History is filled with examples of The Chosen Enemy Du Jour attempting to reduce the tension with Israel and/or the U.S., and being rebuffed. If you think about it, you have to question who it is who really wants peace, and who it is who is trying to avoid it.

By: Ilene

Ilene — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 21:56:58 +0000

Iran tried to take steps to normalize relations after 9/11 but were rebuffed. Imagine how different our world might look had we gone down that path.

By: Shirin

Shirin — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 16:49:14 +0000

That is a reasonable position. Of course, as I understand it under the NPT, to which Iran is a signatory, they don’t really have the right, present or future, to create nuclear weapons, but the sentiment behind the survey is positive. What they should NOT be willing to give up is their sovereign right to develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. They have exactly as much right to that as does any other country, and this is the right the United States, Israel, and their panting followers are trying to deny them.