Iranians Decry Double Standard Before Nuclear Talks
By Ladane Nasseri - Thu Apr 12 20:01:00 GMT 2012
For nations seeking to restrict Iran’s pursuit of nuclear technology, Vida Asgari has a question: if others can do it, why not us?
“Why should only powerful countries have it?” said Asgari, a 44-year-old sales assistant in a Tehran bookshop. “If it’s peaceful, it’s our right and we should stand up for it.”
The charge of double standards is echoed across a range of Iranian opinion as the Islamic republic’s leaders prepare for nuclear talks with the U.S. and other world powers. It’s voiced by domestic critics of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as well as his supporters, and used by some to justify the development of nuclear weapons capability as well as power plants.
The negotiations, starting in Istanbul tomorrow, take place amid threats by Israel and the U.S. to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities. The U.S. and allies accuse Iran of secretly developing the capacity to make an atomic bomb, while Iran says its nuclear program is peaceful. Curbs imposed by Western nations on oil purchases from Iran have helped push crude prices up 12 percent this year.
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http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-04-12/iranians-decry-double-standard-before-nuclear-talks.html
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