VENEZEULA: Iran's Ahmadinejad criticises the United States and its mission to curb Iran's nuclear programme

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad expressed harsh criticism for the United States and its mission to curb Iran's nuclear program on his first visit to Venezuela where he signed bilateral accords with the South American nation. "We have always said that we're willing to negotiate with everyone," he said through an interpreter in a joint news conference with Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez. "You know the road, some who are taking advantage of nuclear energy for things that are not peaceful have tested third generation bombs of massive destruction-- they want to be an obstacle for the development of our people, while our road is the production of nuclear fuel. That's what the people need." Ahmadinejad has insisted that there is no basis for sanctioning Iran. "Our logic is a very transparent logic," he continued. "We say that if the chain of nuclear fuel production is something good, we all have to have it and if it's something bad, no one has to have it-- and it shouldn't be that just some have this technology in their monopoly and all the other peoples are without this technology. They want to have this technology in their power so that when other peoples need it, they can sell it at a very high price and impose political conditions on the sale. The talks are continuing." Yet he said he was not fearful of any possible invasion. "I always say that the people of Iran are very determined to defend their right and that we have the potential to defend ourselves," he told the crowd. "We hope that the talks continue." Both presidents of the oil-rich countries emphasized their close relationship, as they highlighted an anti-American bond. Chavez, who has previously accused the United States of planning to invade his country, now accused it of planning an invasion against Iran. "We don't want more war," said the former paratrooper. "But we alert the world of the ill-fated consequences that an aggression against Iran that is planned by the United States imperialists and all their allies in other parts of the world, would bring the world." Tehran ignored an August 31 U.N. Security Council deadline to freeze sensitive uranium enrichment activity but support for continued talks is widespread with French President Jacques Chirac and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Mohamed ElBaradei publicly supporting the conversations. The United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China have offered to negotiate with Iran on a package of economic and political inducements if Tehran verifiably suspends uranium enrichment, which the major powers believe is intended for nuclear weapons development. But diplomats say all but Washington are quietly amenable to a face-saving compromise that could let Iran suspend uranium enrichment after the incentives negotiations begin, and Britain was on the fence over the issue.

ITN Source | September 20, 2006

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