NYC Letter: "Crise Internationale" ! Tisonnier Atomique

How does one arrange a game of high stakes poker with the EU3? We are most anxious for a game seeing how nicely Iran has made out playing five-card stud against them.

Iran holding a weak hand, unable to beat anything showing, raises the stakes and the EU3s fold.

IRAN 'KEPT EU TALKING' WHILE IT FINISHED NUCLEAR PLANT

August 14, 2005 (Telegraph) - In comments that will infuriate EU diplomats, Hosein Musavian said that Teheran took advantage of the nine months of talks, which collapsed last week, to finish work at its Isfahan enrichment facility. "Thanks to the negotiations with Europe we gained another year in which we completed the [project] in Isfahan," he told an Iranian television interviewer.

Mr Musavian also claimed that work on nuclear centrifuges at a plant at Natanz, which was kept secret until Iran's exiled opposition revealed its existence in 2002, progressed during the negotiations.

Critics of the regime will see his comments as confirmation that Iran never contemplated giving up its programme, despite top-level diplomacy involving Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, and his French and German counterparts.

You think so?

IRAN SAYS IT WON'T STOP URANIUM CONVERSION

TEHRAN, Iran August 14, 2005 - Iran will never again suspend conversion of uranium ore, but it is willing to pursue talks with the European Union about its uranium enrichment program, Tehran officials said Sunday.

"Work in Isfahan will not be suspended again for confidence building," he said, referring to the suspension of nuclear activities that Iran imposed last year to allow negotiations with the European Union to proceed in a good atmosphere.

IRAN ASKS TALKS WITH EUROPE ON URANIUM

TEHRAN, Iran August 14, 2005 (AP) - An increasingly defiant Iran called Sunday for Europe to open talks on Tehran's intention to enrich uranium, and dismissed a veiled Bush administration warning of military action against Iranian nuclear operations as psychological warfare.

The new Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, meanwhile, named a hard-line Cabinet, a move that looked certain to intensify Iran's confrontation with the West.

Of course Iran wants to chat some more. There are still things the EU3s haven't negotiated away in return for nothing. Somebody best step in before the EU3 bets the farm.

BUSH WARNS IRAN ON NUCLEAR PLANS

August 13, 2005 (BBC) - [Mr. Bush] said he was working on a diplomatic solution, but was sceptical that one could be found.

"All options are on the table," said Mr Bush, when asked about the possible use of force during an interview for Israeli TV.

But Germany of the EU3 won't have Mr. Bush's strong hand.

GERMANY ATTACKS US ON IRAN THREAT

August 13, 2005 (BBC) - German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has warned the US to back away from the possibility of military action against Iran over its nuclear programme.

"Let's take the military option off the table. We have seen it doesn't work," Mr Schroeder told Social Democrats at the rally in Hanover, to rapturous applause from the crowd.

We imagine Herr Schröder to be reaching back to Germany's military optioning of Europe. Same story, more cynically reported:

SCHROEDER PLAYS THE IRAN CARD

August 13, 2005 (BBC) - "We're all concerned about the developments in Iran," he said.

"We don't want nuclear weapons to proliferate further."

"I've read that military options are also on the table," he said.

"My answer to that is: 'Dear friends in Europe and America, let's develop a strong negotiating position towards Iran, but take the military option off the table'."

Mr Schroeder's speech will also revive memories of the last election campaign three years ago, when he strongly opposed the idea of attacking Iraq.

Then, as now, his Social Democratic Party (SPD) was far behind in the opinion polls, and the position on Iraq is generally believed to have been a factor in helping him win the election.

It is too early to judge whether Iran can help revive Mr Schroeder's fortunes in a similar way, but his remarks drew rapturous applause and whoops of support from the several thousand-strong crowd gathered by the Hanover Opera House.

Well, the good Kanzler can't get elected on a domestic agenda. How long before the Germans and French peoples notice that their respective governments have no influence with America? How long before they realize while their political bosses busy themselves conducting tea parties to save the world -- but not really saving it -- their own countries have gone to Hell in a handbasket? But it's all about getting elected, dear, now isn't it?

And a parthian shaft from the Iranian press:

'WE SHALL NOT RETREAT ONE INCH'

From the Jomhuri-ye Eslami, August 9, 2005 - "Iran is in no way afraid of its case being referred to the UN security council - in fact it would be a good chance for Iran to show to European counterparts that the Islamic Republic of Iran has done everything according to treaties and undertakings ... especially for the sake and satisfaction of those avaricious and malicious arrogant powers that have shown no goodwill so far in the talks.

"And what is more, Iran shall not continue its display of one-sided and unreciprocated goodwill from now on. It is precisely for this reason that we should not bend before their further threats, threats that after two years are constantly increasing and being bolstered by unreasonable demands and bullying. We shall not retreat one more inch henceforth."

We have dipped into the mazing articles of the NPT. And where Iran has not violated the the letter of the law, it has contented itself to violate the spirit. Yes, let's take this to the Security Council. Though France and Germany may faint dead away.

Posted by Damian at August 14, 2005 09:50 PM