[Peace-discuss] Just Foreign Policy NewsBrief June 29, 2006

Thu Jun 29 12:40:10 CDT 2006

[I've deleted all but the first paragraph of the articles because of the
size limit of the listserve. I'd be happy to send the full version to anyone
who wants, just send me an email. Of course, you have access to the full
text through the links provided.]

Just Foreign Policy NewsBrief

June 29, 2006

In this issue:

1) G8 Says It Wants Clear Iran Reply on July 5

2) China Urges Iran to Respond to Nuclear Offer

3) Germany Could Accept Nuclear Enrichment in Iran

4) US, Iraqi Forces Clash with Shi'ite Militia

5) Iran to Dominate G8 Foreign Ministers' Meeting

6) Iran, EU to Meet to Discuss Incentives

7) Iran Builds Support for Right to Nuclear Power

8) Report: Iran Reply May Come Sooner

9) Iraq Insurgents Offer to Stop Attacks

Summary:

In an escalation by the Western powers of their conflict with Iran, a Group
of Eight foreign ministers communique said Thursday it wanted a response
from Iran on July 5 to its June 6 proposals on Iran's nuclear program. The
statement said the Western powers expect to hear a clear and substantive
Iranian response to these proposals at the July 5 meeting of European Union
foreign policy chief Javier Solana and Iran's top nuclear negotiator Ali
Larjani. The meeting between Solana and Larjani had earlier been described
as an opportunity for Iran's questions about the details of the incentive
package to be clarified, rather than a meeting at which Iran would be
expected to give an answer to the proposal. Iran had earlier said that it
would respond by mid-August, and the Western powers had earlier indicated
(as reflected in press reports yesterday) that they wanted a response before
the G8 summit in Russia on July 15-16. Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr
Mottaki was quoted by the German weekly magazine Stern on Wednesday as
saying his country may respond before the Group of Eight summit in St.
Petersburg, Russia, which starts July 15, ''if we clear up some open
questions before then.''

China on Thursday urged Iran to quickly respond to an international offer of
incentives aimed at defusing the dispute over its nuclear programs. Chinese
Foreign Ministry spokesman Jiang Yu  urged other parties to "remain patient
and restrained ... so as to create favorable conditions for the resumption
of talks.'' Jiang repeated Beijing's stance that as a signatory to the
Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, Iran has the right to the peaceful use of
nuclear power, but they also have to honor the corresponding obligations.

Iran should be allowed to enrich uranium for power generation provided there
is close monitoring by U.N. inspectors to ensure it is not trying to develop
atomic weapons, Germany's defense minister told Reuters. The minister's
comments suggest that Germany is willing to compromise with Iran over
enrichment in order to resolve peacefully the nuclear stand-off. The Bush
Administration said Germany had dismissed the Reuters story as "erroneous.''
But the German government did not challenge the story. Diplomats familiar
with the offer say it does allow for Iran to enrich, though the timeframe
would have to be negotiated. Reuters suggests that the implication
that Irancould safely enrich uranium under IAEA supervion is what
prompted the
U.S. reaction to the defense minister's comments. This apparent dispute
between the U.S. and Germany over whether Iran would be permitted to enrich
uranium under the proposals of the Western powers lends credence to the
Iranian government's position that it is not clear what they are being asked
to agree to. The foreign minister said he understood U.S. reservations but
added that a ban on Iranian enrichment work was unrealistic. "One cannot
forbid Iran from doing what other countries in the world are doing in
accordance with international law."

Iraqi and U.S. troops battled Shi'ite militiamen in a village northeast of
Baghdad on Thursday. Iraqi security officials said Iranian fighters had been
captured in the fighting. The article notes that among Shi'ite militants are
Iraqis who grew up in refugee camps in Iran and are often described by Iraqi
compatriots as ''Iranians'' because of their accented Arabic.

An article in yesterday's Los Angeles Times noted that Iran has had
considerable dipomatic success in convincing non-Western countries not to
back the Western powers in their confrontation with Iran over its nuclear
program. For example, Iran persuaded the conference of nonaligned nations in
Malaysia to make a strong statement in support of Tehran's right to pursue
the nuclear fuel cycle. Austria, Italy, and Spain have also indicated some
differences with the EU countries that have been supporting the United
States.

Eleven Sunni insurgent groups have offered to halt attacks on the
U.S.-ledmilitary if the Iraqi government and President Bush set a
two-year timetable
for withdrawing all foreign troops from the country, insurgent and
government officials told The Associated Press on Wednesday. The groups do
not include the powerful Islamic Army in Iraq, Muhammad Army and the
Mujahedeen Shura Council, the umbrella label for eight militant groups
including al-Qaida in Iraq. The proposal follows an announcement by Iraq's
Prime Minister of a national reconciliation plan. An earlier version of the
reconciliation plan included a timetable for withdrawal of all foreign
troops, but this provision was apparently removed under pressure from
the United
States.

Articles:

1) G8 Says It Wants Clear Iran Reply on July 5

REUTERS, June 29, 2006

Filed at 8:43 a.m. ET

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/world/international-group-russia-iran.html

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Group of Eight industrialized nations said on
Thursday it wanted a ``clear and substantive'' reply from Iran next week to
a major power offer over Tehran's nuclear programs.

2) China Urges Iran to Respond to Nuclear Offer

REUTERS

June 29, 2006

Filed at 6:01 a.m. ET

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/world/international-china-iran.html

BEIJING (Reuters) - China on Thursday urged Iran to quickly respond to an
international offer of incentives aimed at defusing a dispute over its
nuclear programs.

3) Germany Could Accept Nuclear Enrichment in Iran

REUTERS

June 29, 2006

Filed at 0:47 a.m. ET

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/news/news-nuclear-iran-germany.html

BERLIN (Reuters) - Iran should be allowed to enrich uranium for power
generation provided there is close monitoring by U.N. inspectors to ensure
it is not trying to develop atomic weapons, Germany's defense minister said.

4) US, Iraqi Forces Clash with Shi'ite Militia

REUTERS

June 29, 2006

Filed at 11:04 a.m. ET

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/news/news-iraq.html

BAQUBA, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraqi and U.S. troops battled Shi'ite militiamen in
a village northeast of Baghdad on Thursday, and witnesses and police said
U.S. helicopters bombed orchards to flush out gunmen hiding in the palm
groves.

5) Iran to Dominate G8 Foreign Ministers' Meeting

REUTERS

June 28, 2006

Filed at 10:28 a.m. ET

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/world/international-group-russia-ministers.html

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Foreign ministers from the Group of Eight industrialized
nations meet in Moscow on Thursday to decide how best to nudge Iran to give
a clear answer to proposals aimed at ending the standoff over its nuclear
plans.

6) Iran, EU to Meet to Discuss Incentives

ASSOCIATED PRESS

June 28, 2006

Filed at 9:10 p.m. ET

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-UN-Iran-Nuclear.html

UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- Iran's top nuclear negotiator and the European
Union's foreign policy chief plan to meet on July 5 to discuss a package of
incentives from key global powers to try to persuade Iran to roll back its
uranium enrichment program, a U.N. official said.

7) Iran Builds Support for Right to Nuclear Power

Efforts to build support around the globe for Tehran's position in talks
about the future of its nuclear program have had some successes.

Alissa J. Rubin

Los Angeles Times

June 28, 2006

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-lobby28jun28,1,771845.story

VIENNA — The elaborately stuccoed grand hall of the Palais Eschenbach often
plays host to nobility and businessmen, concerts and Christmas parties, but
last week it was the unlikely forum for a key Iranian official, who came to
make the case for Tehran's right to nuclear technology.

8) Report: Iran Reply May Come Sooner

ASSOCIATED PRESS

June 28, 2006

Filed at 8:23 a.m. ET

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-Germany-Iran-Nuclear.html

BERLIN (AP) -- Iran's foreign minister has indicated that his country may
respond before mid-July to an international package aimed at resolving a
standoff over its nuclear program, a German magazine reported Wednesday.

9) Iraq Insurgents Offer to Stop Attacks

ASSOCIATED PRESS

June 28, 2006

Filed at 3:21 p.m. ET

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-Iraq-Insurgent-Offer.html

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- Eleven Sunni insurgent groups have offered to halt
attacks on the U.S.-led military if the Iraqi government and President Bush
set a two-year timetable for withdrawing all foreign troops from the
country, insurgent and government officials told The Associated Press on
Wednesday.

-- 
Robert Naiman
Just Foreign Policy
www.justforeignpolicy.org
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