won’t discuss its nuclear program with the Big Six powers in talks next month because it assumes the Iranian government is just fibbing.
State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley last Tuesday told reporters at his daily briefing that Washington mainly wanted to discuss “Iran’s nuclear intentions” at the talks tentatively scheduled for December 5, but “we’re open for other issues,” of which Iran has mentioned many.
One reporter queried Crowley, noting comments from Iran that it will not discuss its nuclear program. He asked, “Is the US willing to go,” if the nuclear issue isn’t on the agenda?
Crowley just brushed aside those comments from Tehran as mere rhetoric. “There were similar suggestions publicly prior to the [Big Six] meeting [with Iran] last year,” he said, “but when we got together, the nuclear issue was of paramount importance in that meeting.”
The reporter persisted, pointing out that multiple Iranian officials have said that nuclear matters won’t be discussed.
“I’m not certain that’s actually the Iranian position,” Crowley said.
The day after Crowley spoke out, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki simply glossed over the entire agenda issue. Instead of repeating that the nuclear issue was not on the agenda, he said, “The agenda is usually set before a meeting, but sometimes the involved parties agree to discuss the desired agenda during the session.” That suggested Mottaki was willing to leave the nuclear question an open issue.
Meanwhile, David Ignatius, ,a columnist with The Washington Post, reported that Esfandiar Rahim-Mashai, President Ahmadi-nejad’s chief of staff and closest political adviser, has been contacting Americans about the talks. Ahmadi-nejad has long wanted talks with the United States, but has been knocked down on at least one occasion by the Supreme Leader for getting too far out front in promoting talks.
Last Tuesday, Saeed Jalili, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, wrote to EU foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, proposing that Iran and the Big Six meet November 23 or December 5 in Istanbul. Three days later, Ashton replied, accepting December 5, but suggesting a venue somewhere in Europe. Seven days have now passed without a response from Tehran.
There has been some suggestion that the United States only wants to hold a meeting of the Big Six with Iran and does not want to hold a meeting of a smaller group (Russia, France and the United States with the International Atomic Energy Agency) to discuss a proposal for fuel for the small Tehran Research Reactor.
At the State Department, Crowley disabused reporters of that idea. “We would like to see activity, both within the context of the [Big Six] and also in the context of the IAEA. We’re open to Iran engaging through both channels.”
News reports last month said the United States was proposing to Russia and France that a new and updated proposal be made to Iran on the Tehran Research Reactor fueling arrangements. As of last Tuesday, Crowley said, there was no agreement among the three on a new offer to Iran, suggesting that Russia is not wild about the American idea.
The United States reportedly wants to require Iran to turn over more low enriched uranium, enough so that Iran is not near the point of having enough enriched uranium to fuel a solitary bomb.
by Warren L. Nelson