Ahmadinejad: THe US must apologize over nuclear issue

[Che Guava]

Iran calls for US nuclear apology


Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said the US and its allies should apologise for their treatment of Iran over its nuclear programme.

Mr Ahmadinejad said the latest report by the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) showed Iran had been truthful about its nuclear activities.

The IAEA found Iran had clarified some of its nuclear history but questions remained over present activities.

The US has vowed to push for further UN sanctions in the light of the report.

The IAEA report praised Tehran for making progress in responding to questions about past activities but warned that the agency's knowledge about Tehran's current nuclear programme was diminishing.

It said that Iran was continuing to enrich uranium in defiance of demands by the UN Security Council.

"Selective co-operation" was "not good enough", the White House said after the report's release on Thursday.

Meanwhile, a meeting scheduled for next week to discuss further sanctions against Iran has been cancelled because China has pulled out, diplomats say.

'Political victory'

Iran has portrayed the IAEA's latest findings as a political victory.

"Since the first days, we have declared that Iran's nuclear activities are lawful and in the framework of its legal rights, but the Western countries' propagation networks and political pressures did not allow the Iranians' voice be heard in the world," Mr Ahmadinejad is quoted by state media as saying.

"Now the whole world has seen that the news was not true and Iran's activities have been clean and peaceful and all the main questions of the IAEA have received their appropriate answers."


Mr Ahmadinejad said the time had come for the US and its allies to change their behaviour. "Upon wrong and incorrect information you issued two resolutions," he said, referring to two earlier rounds of UN sanctions.

"Now that you have found out that this information was wrong, you have to be brave and come forward and tell the Iranian nation 'We made a mistake' and apologise."

Weapons fear

While Tehran insists the IAEA report gave it a clean bill of health, the US and its allies fear Iran is developing a nuclear weapons capability.

The UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reached a deal in August with Iran, according to which Tehran would answer outstanding questions as part of a four-year probe into its nuclear drive.


Sanctions pressure continues

"Iran has provided sufficient access to individuals and has responded in a timely manner to questions and provided clarifications and amplifications on issues raised in the context of the work plan," the latest report said.

However, it said Iran's co-operation had been "reactive" rather than "pro-active" and that the IAEA was continuing to check whether Iran's declarations were complete.

The report also found that the agency's knowledge about Tehran's current nuclear programme was diminishing and that Iran had not suspended its uranium enrichment activities as called for by the Security Council.

It says the government had been operating 3,000 centrifuges, the machines used to enrich uranium, at its plant at Natanz.

Sanctions threat

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said: "This report indicates that Iran continues to defy the international community and two unanimous UN Security Council resolutions."

She added that the documents made it "clear that Iran seems uninterested in working with the rest of the world".

Ms Perino said the US planned to work towards a new set of Security Council sanctions with representatives of the five permanent members, along with Germany, at a meeting scheduled for next week in Brussels.

Western powers are concerned because, while enriched uranium is used as fuel for nuclear reactors, highly enriched uranium can also be used to make nuclear bombs.

Two UN Security Council resolutions approved in March imposed limited sanctions on Iran, including a ban on arms sales and restrictions on financial assistance.

In September, council members agreed to delay a vote on further measures until the publication of the current report.

Top Iranian nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili said the report proved that accusations against his country were baseless and new sanctions would be wrong.

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So what do you figure are the chances of the US apologising?

And, a little more seriously, do you feel any better about Iran's Nuclear ambitions after this report?

 

[Princeps]

I demand that my government and the EU apologize. But I doubt that the vainglorious west can bring itself to that.

Btw, I just love the arrogance in this white house statement: "This report sadly makes clear that Iran seems uninterested in working with the rest of the world"

"WE ARE THE WORLD!!!!111"

 

[Newbunkle]

Will Ahmadinejad apologise for his remarks about Israel?

 

[plarq]

I demand that my government and the EU apologize. But I doubt that the vainglorious west can bring itself to that.

Btw, I just love the arrogance in this white house statement: "This report sadly makes clear that Iran seems uninterested in working with the rest of the world"

"WE ARE THE WORLD!!!!111"

We're the world
We're the children...

Sorry can't resist.

Actually the West could never apologize to Iran unless Berlin or Paris was taken over by Persians.

 

[Godwynn]

Will Ahmadinejad apologise for his remarks about Israel?

He has to do that first.

 

[cubsfan6506]

I didn't really buy the whole their going for nukes things. Alright I've thought of a ring of apoligizing
Isrealites apologize to Palestinians and create a palestinian free state. Iran apologizes to Isreal. We apologize to Tehran.

 

[bhsup]

Dear President Ahmadinejad,

We, the people of hte United States of America do formally apologize to the people of Iran for not taking you out. We promise to get around to it when we have the time, but unfortunately for now the good people of Iran will just have to suffer under your oppressive rule.

Sincerely,

The citizenry of the USA

 

[CIVPhilzilla]

Why does Ahmadinejad even get press, he has no say in what Iran actually does. He's a figure head, nothing more. That's like listening to commands given by the royal family of England.

 

[cubsfan6506]

Hes a dumb figurehead at that but still deserves an apology.

 

[amadeus]

Hes a dumb figurehead at that but still deserves an apology.

The apology should be as follows: "we're sorry for not blowing your plane up when you came to speak at the United Nations."

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

Dear President Ahmadinejad,

We, the people of hte United States of America do formally apologize to the people of Iran for not taking you out. We promise to get around to it when we have the time, but unfortunately for now the good people of Iran will just have to suffer under your oppressive rule.

Sincerely,

The citizenry of the USA

The words you're looking for are "on borrowed time."

 

[Bozo Erectus]

Iran calls for US nuclear apology

I agree, but not in the sense that Ahmindamoodforjihad meant. The US should apologize for using nuclear weapons in a terrorist attack against Japanese civilians.

 

[sourboy]

The US should apologize for using nuclear weapons in a terrorist attack against Japanese civilians.

New thread to argue this one...

 

[Bozo Erectus]

New thread to argue this one...

A new/old thread. Its been hashed and rehashed endlessly. I just cant let this issue go by without mentioning the fact that the US, the great defender of the world against the irresponsible use of nukes, is the only country in history to use nukes against civilians. So far. To say its like the pot calling the kettle black is a bit of an understatement.

 

[BasketCase]

Dear Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: I apologize.

I'm sorry you're such a goddamn idiot. I'm sorry that you're too stupid to see that nuclear weapons are worthless to you. I'm sorry that you haven't learned from history and can't see that nuclear weapons couldn't save the USSR. I'm sorry that pretty soon we're probably going to have to kill you. And I'm sorry that some of the innocent citizens in your country might get caught in the crossfire.


Edit: is it against forum rules to flame non-members? Errr, wait a sec--for all I know, Ahmadinejad might actually have an account on this board!

 

[El_Machinae]

You mean the "evidence" the talk-radio hosts have been trumpeting to us for the last few years is clearly tagged for peaceful purposes? Say it ain't so!

Now, we don't know enough about Iran's current activities. This is always going to be distressing (duh).

But the talking heads who were trying to convince us of the 'concern' were misrepresenting evidence that the experts have deemed to be legitimate. Now, who (of the people who have been swayed by the talking heads) are going to realise that the talking heads were confused, and that we've been biased by those heads, and that we should rethink our opinions?

 

[sourboy]

the US is the only country in history to use nukes against civilians. So far. To say its like the pot calling the kettle black is a bit of an understatement.

So learning by way of one's mistakes makes the lesson less valuable to others?

 

[Irish Caesar]

It is rather embarrassing for the US, given that the world needs to be using more nuclear power, but the governments are blurring the lines between power generation and construction of weapons. It really paints us in a bad light.

That said, I'm off to make some bombs.

 

[Stylesjl]

Fat chance that will ever happen. The United States can never do wrong

 

[Trajan12]

Seeing as there's no solid proof of Iran having nuclear weapons, I think it is pretty stupid that we've been wasting so much time harassing them about it.

Apology though, the government themselves should give that. Not America as a whole.