Emailhome page

 

 

world news

Culture News

economic news

sports news

domestic news

  Archive:  

Saturday, July 5, 2008     

 
 
For Regional Security
 
By Kayhan Int’l Staff Writer

Political pundits in the West are of the opinion that Iran holds the key to the establishment of security in the volatile region of Middle East. To this end, they are urging Washington to hold direct talks with Tehran and drop the rhetoric of “Iran Threat” and/or “All Options Are Open”.
On the other hand, Tehran strongly believes that the US and its allies are the origin of all problems in the Middle East and that they are using the rhetoric of Iranian threat to justify their presence in the energy-rich region of Persian Gulf.
Astonishingly, their allegations come at a time when Iran’s military spending has been the lowest for years compared to other Persian Gulf littoral states.
Just for the record, in 2005, Iran’s military spending constituted to just about 3.8% of its GDP after the UAE’s 3%. The military spending for other states were 5.1% Bahrain, 7.1% Qatar, 8.7% Saudi Arabia, 9.0% Kuwait, and 12.2% Oman.
Consequently, it is absurd to allege that under the circumstances Iran still poses a great danger to the security of other littoral states and that this justifies the presence of western powers!
Having said that, Muslim nations of the region are responsible for their own security and Tehran does not need to hold talks with Washington to restore the region’s security.
Quite the opposite, Tehran should hold talks with other regional states as only regional cooperation can guarantee regional security. To this end, Iran can utilize its special geo-strategic position to become a bridge between the energy-rich regions of the Persian Gulf and the Caspian Sea.
The Iranian officials have always supported the idea of drafting and enacting regional legislation to combat illicit commercial ventures and trans-national crime, including money laundering, people smuggling and terrorism; improve the functioning of law and justice systems; and promote peace building, conflict resolution and reconstruction in conflict affected areas.
Indeed, Iran has always been part of the solution and not the problem (as alleged by the West), and that after the victory of 1979 Islamic Revolution, the country has always endeavored to adopt a logical/realistic approach towards regional/trans-boundary threats and transnational crimes – regardless of US pressures and objections.
In brief, regional threats require a regional response as they can only be managed effectively through local networks and cooperation.
Regional cooperation can equally provide opportunities to increase economic growth and streamline the costs of government through greater integration with a focus on security.
 

Solana, Jalili Hold 'Constructive Talks': Iran's Nuclear Response Delivered

TEHRAN, June 4 (Dispatches) -- Iran delivered its response Friday to a western package of proposals if it suspends a central part of its nuclear program, state television reported.
Iran's ambassador to Belgium presented the response to European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana in Brussels and Iran's top nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, spoke with Solana by phone, state TV and Iran's official news agency said.
"The Islamic republic has prepared and presented a response to the letter of the six countries with a constructive and creative view and a focus on common ground," Jalili said.
A spokeswoman for Solana said he had held "positive" talks with the Iranian side.
The state news agency IRNA quoted senior source at Iran's Supreme National Security Council as saying that the response was signed by Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki.
Jalili also said both sides had agreed that talks would be held again by the end of the current Iranian month of Tir, which ends in two weeks, without elaborating.
Solana's spokeswoman, Cristina Gallach, said: "They had a positive, constructive conversation. They agreed to remain in contact."
She said Jalili announced that he would send a response to the international package "very soon." It would contain "more concrete elements," she added.
However Gallach underlined: "Even if we formally receive (Iran's answer) some time will be needed to analyze it."
Solana and Jalili agreed during the conversation to hold the latest in a series of talks in the second half of July, state TV reported. Solana last met with Iranian officials in mid-June, trying to get Tehran to accept the offer.
Acting on behalf of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany, the EU's Solana offered the modified package of economic incentives to Iran during his June visit. The offer is meant to persuade Iran to halt uranium enrichment.
Iran has insisted it will not give up enrichment, saying its only aim is to produce nuclear power. But it has said the incentives package has some "common ground'' with Tehran's own proposals for a resolution to the standoff.
Iran's own more all-embracing offer is aimed at solving world problems, including the nuclear issue.
Separately, EU nations also approved new sanctions against Iran in June, imposing additional financial and travel restrictions on a list of Iranian companies and experts, including the country's largest bank.
The six nations -- the U.S., China, Russia, France, Britain and Germany -- first offered a package of economic, technological and political incentives to Tehran nearly two years ago on condition that it suspend enrichment.
The standoff has led to increasingly tense exchanges recently as speculation of a possible military strike mounts.
The commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards said in remarks published Friday that Iran would consider any military action against its nuclear facilities as the beginning of a war.
"Iran's response to any military action will make the invaders regret their decision and action,'' Jafari said late Thursday, according to the IRNA news agency.
In a newspaper interview last week, Jafari warned that if attacked, Iran would barrage the occupying Israeli regime with missiles and choke off the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a narrow outlet for oil tankers leaving the Persian Gulf.
However, the general was also quoted as saying that he thinks a strike by Iran's adversaries is unlikely.
Iran's top diplomat, Manouchehr Mottaki, told The Associated Press in New York on Wednesday that the United States and the Zionist regime would not risk the
"craziness'' of attacking his country and possibly provoking a wider Middle East war or driving oil prices into uncharted heights.
An Israeli military exercise last month was seen as a strong warning to Iran.
Mottaki called the speculation of a military strike part of "psychological warfare,'' according to Friday's IRNA report.
In an unusual move, a letter from the six world powers was personally signed by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice along with her counterparts.
"Formal negotiations can start as soon as Iran's enrichment-related and reprocessing activities are suspended," said the text of the letter which was addressed to both Mottaki and Jalili.
"We want to be clear that we recognize Iran's rights under the international treaties... But with these rights come responsibilities, in particular to restore the confidence of the international community in Iran's nuclear program."

 
India Sees Iran Gas Deal 'by Next Month'

MADRID, June 4 (AFP) — India expects to sign a deal "by next month" on a pipeline that will transport gas across the subcontinent from Iran, Indian Oil Minister Murli Deora told AFP on Thursday.
He said the 7.5-billion-dollar (4.7-billion-euro) project to bring gas from Iranian fields to India and Pakistan had been discussed on the sidelines of the World Petroleum Congress industry event, which ended in Madrid Thursday.
"We discussed this here again yesterday (Wednesday). There should be an end to dialogue now," Deora said in an interview with AFP at the World Petroleum Congress in Madrid when asked about the project.
"The only issue is where to take the delivery, the delivery point," he said, adding the two options were on the India-Pakistan border or the Pakistan-Iran border.
"But these things are being sorted out at a very high level now, and I hope by next month things will be okay," said the minister of petroleum and natural gas.
Asked when the deal could be signed, he said: "I hope by next month."
Talks on the 2,600-kilometre (1,615-mile) Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline began in 1994 but were stalled by tensions between India and Pakistan and disagreements over prices and transit fees.
India and Pakistan reported last month that they had resolved commercial differences holding up the deal.
India has been under pressure from the United States not to do business with Iran.
But New Delhi, which imports more than 70% of its energy needs, has been trawling for new supplies of oil and gas while ramping up domestic production to sustain its booming economy.
Earlier this year, New Delhi told Washington not to interfere in its dealings with Iran after a State Department spokesman said Washington would like India to put pressure on Tehran over its nuclear program.
India said that Iran had the right to peaceful use of nuclear energy but has asked Tehran to cooperate with the United Nations nuclear watchdog. Tehran denies its nuclear program is a cover for building atomic weapons.
India in 2005 signed another deal with Iran, which has the world's second largest known gas reserves after Russia, for the supply of five million tons of gas annually for 25 years.
Deori also rejected criticism that rising energy demands in India and China were helping to push up oil prices.
"I don't think that (issue) should have found place here (at the WPC)," he said.
"I think that China and India are consuming a small portion of the energy, and to blame them -- that the sole reason for price increases is India and China -- I don't think that's fair," he said.
Divisions appeared to be growing between the oil powers and consumer nations at the congress over how to bring down the oil prices, which hit $145 a barrel Thursday.
Top officials from consumer and producer countries had already met in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on June 22 for talks about resolving the problem of the runaway oil market, but prices have risen since then.
But Deora rejected suggestions that the four-day WPC congress had been a failure.
"There has been some movement. The very fact that everybody met and everybody spoke about different angles and different ideas ... is a great achievement. You don't expect the price (of oil) to go down to 30 dollars... You have a dialogue and you present your views."
Asked about Indian fuel subsidies, he said "it's very sensitive, but what do you do when you have so many people and the need for cheap energy."
India subsidizes fuel costs in a bid to ease the burden on the poorest members of society.
But it has recently been forced to raise prices amid soaring global crude oil costs, triggering anti-government demonstrations.