Obama to drop uranium precondition for Iran nuclear talks

[Turborama]

Source: The Guardian

• End of precondition a major policy shift
• Concession means Iran can continue uranium enrichment
• Concern grows over unilateral action by Israel

Ewen MacAskill in Washington
Tuesday 14 April 2009 19.28 BST

The US and Europe are preparing to make a major concession to Iran to end the nuclear stalemate, according to American and European sources today. In what amounts to a major policy shift, the Obama administration is set to drop a precondition for the start of negotiations on the nuclear issue - that Iran first suspend its uranium enrichment process.

The precondition has been the biggest stumbling block in efforts over the last few years to open talks. The Bush administration insisted upon it but Tehran adamantly refused. An announcement is imminent of a location and date for the first direct talks between the US - alongside Europe - with Iran on the nuclear issue.

Negotiations have been given added urgency by threats by the new Israeli government, led by Binyamin Netanyahu, to bomb Iran's nuclear facilities to prevent it achieving a nuclear weapons capability. Israel predicts Iran could reach this point by the autumn.

The Israeli president, Shimon Peres, in a radio interview on Sunday, urged the Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, to enter into the talks proposed by Barack Obama. If Ahmadinejad failed to back down over the nuclear issue, "we'll strike him", Peres said.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/apr/14/obama-iran-nuclear-talks-uranium-precondition

[Chulanowa]

1. It was a stupid precondition.

"Stop doing what we want you to stop doing, and then we'll come to the table to negotiate about how you will stop doing what we wanted you to stop doing, which you already stopped doing"

Republicans can't tell the difference between negotiating and demanding.

[blm]

3. Yep - in 2004 Kerry said US should enable Iran's nuclear energy goals in a partnership to benefit

the Iranian people while eliminating any program working to expand weapon capabilities.

[Metta]

2. Very good news. The lights are on somewhere in the State department.

:hi: