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Ear to the Ground

Ahmadinejad Demands ‘Equal Conditions’ for Talks

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Posted on Feb 20, 2007

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Tuesday his nation is willing to shut down its nuclear enrichment program in order to hold talks, but first the West must do likewise: “We say how is it that your [nuclear fuel] production facilities work 24 hours a day, but you feel threatened by our newly established complex and we need to shut it down for talks?”


AP:

Ahmadinejad told a crowd of thousands in northern Iran one day ahead of a
U.N. Security Council deadline that it was no problem for his country to stop, but that “fair talks” demanded a similar gesture from the West.

“That ... we shut down our nuclear fuel cycle program to let talks begin. It’s no problem. But justice demands that those who want to hold talks with us shut down their nuclear fuel cycle program too. Then, we can hold dialogue under a fair atmosphere,” Ahmadinejad said.

The Security Council has set Wednesday as a deadline for Iran to stop uranium enrichment or face further economic sanctions.

Ahmadinejad spoke in a far more conciliatory tone than the one he usually adopts, avoiding fiery denunciations of the West with a call for talks.

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By vet240, February 21, 2007 at 2:07 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

Times are a changin’.

Once upon a time there were three super powers, America, The Soviet Union and China, once bitter enemies who had a common goal of controlling the rest of the world.

The Soviet Union disolved before our very eyes. They were forced to face reality. They had to give up their dream of control. They ran out of money.

China, has used military forces very sparingly in their back yard only which included Korea. For long distance control they rely on the diplomacy of the Yen. Their bank accounts are fat.

America has been controlled by the military-Industrial complex since the end of World War II . Only America still thinks it can practice diplomacy through long-distance wars. It brags of the non-stop round trip bombing missions flown out of the heart of America. They can brag and feel superior because the costs aren’t coming out of their own pockets. The military will be sorely disappointed when we run out of money. You can’t spend a half million dollars to kill a two dollar terrorist. This war and any future wars we undertake not only cost lives, they cost money people! How much you got on you right now?

Production is up 80 percent in the last 50 years while wages are up only 2 percent. Where is the wealth going? You say the only thing increasing in your household is your credit card debt. Maybe America will go bust.

Which past President said, “Debt is an abomination”? Answer? Not a damn one!

The President of Iran? He sees America from the outside. His prospective is clearer. I think he feels the people of America aren’t well represented by their leaders. That’s why he likes the people, but fears and hates the Government of the people.

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By Dennis D, February 21, 2007 at 12:40 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

And I demand equal representation from our bought and paid for politicians. Guess what neither I or
AhMADinejad are going to get what we want. What else is new.

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By jbowen43, February 20, 2007 at 11:32 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Marshall, Iran denies they have a nuclear weapons program and so far no one has shown evidence to the contrary. Low level enrichment is not evidence of an intent to produce weapons. Reply to my point about them enriching for power production. Of course they are being denied peaceful use. What else are the sanction without proof of weapons production. Read the NPT.

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By Brewerstroupe, February 20, 2007 at 8:42 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

The cheeky little leprechaun strikes again at the blatant hypocrisy of the U.S. How I wish others could share my view of this humorous wee feller.

Israel denies the Palestinian Naqbah. -Ok. Let’s have a look at your holocaust he quips.

The West is outraged at Islamic reaction to the Muhammed cartoons, -he sponsors a Holocaust cartoon competition.

The West accuses Iran of repressing free speech, -Ahmadinejad says you guys lock up your revisionist historians. -I’ll give them a platform.

It is actually high comedy. Such a pity it may soon be turned into another World-shattering tragedy by those who cannot allow the truth to interfere with their agenda.

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By Fadel Abdallah, February 20, 2007 at 6:34 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Nothing could be more reasonable, fair and straightforward than what Ahmadinejad is suggesting! But, how can this appeal to irrational, warmongering and evil beasts in Washington and Israel? This should be the real question.

To Janet: Not only he’s got a point, but he’s got the only point that makes sense to people of reason. Actually, he’s been saying this for a long time, but it’s either falls on deaf ears and arrogant mentality, or it’s taken out of context by the mainstream cheerleading media animals who can’t wait for the next war to start, so they would have their day under the sun covering it, and making news of their own. We’re lucky to have one media source, such as Truthdig, reporting the news and words as they are. I bit, if you check other mainstream sources, you will find that they have put some twist to Ahmadinajad’s words to render them invalid.

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By Marshall, February 20, 2007 at 5:55 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

No janet - he has no point.

NNPT does not call for the US or Israel to shut down its enrichment.  It does call for non-nuclear countries to cease developing nuclear weapons.  You use Israel as the “get out of jail free” card for all wrongdoing by other countries in the region and it’s pretty pathetic. 

And jbowen43: No one has refused Iran a peaceful domestic nuclear energy program.  The UN’s concern is with its nuclear weapons program and its lack of cooperation in providing verification that it doesn’t exist.  Perhaps you should be encouraging a more open and forthcoming Iran instead of turning your criticism to the countries that are requesting this of Iran.

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By Quy Tran, February 20, 2007 at 5:21 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

He makes a deal ! Isreal and Iran have to unmask their deck of cards !

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By jbowen43, February 20, 2007 at 3:39 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

It has always been my understanding that uranium mined in Iran needs some enrichment to be useful in a nuclear power plant. Why should they not be allowed to enrich their own resource rather than have to purchase it from someone else?
I have actually read the Non-Proliferation Treaty and cannot see where they are violating it. It seems that we are in violation because we are not assisting them in the peaceful use of nuclear power.
What is needed is total nuclear disarmament by all nations.

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By Janet, February 20, 2007 at 1:22 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

He’s got a point. And we might add—Israel should also shut down its nuclear facilities. This entire crisis is due to the fact that Israel needs to maintain military domination over the Middle East because, not only doesn’t it ever intend to give back stolen Palestinian lands, but it will actively pursue further expansion in the future. This, with the complicity of the US.

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