Wednesday 3 February 2010

Ahmadinejad, dropping long- standing conditions, ready to send enriched uranium abroad ...

Friday-Lunch-Club


Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad speaks at a news conference during the session of United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009 in Copenhagen December 18, 2009. REUTERS/Christian Charisius
"The president appeared for the first time to drop long- standing conditions Tehran had set, .... "We have no problem sending our enriched uranium abroad," Ahmadinejad told state television. "We say: we will give you our 3.5 percent enriched uranium and will get the fuel. It may take 4 to 5 months until we get the fuel. "If we send our enriched uranium abroad and then they do not give us the 20 percent enriched fuel for our reactor, we are capable of producing it inside Iran," he said.....
The president offered to swap three detained U.S. citizens charged with spying for jailed Iranians in the United States.....

Ahmadinejad's statement on the nuclear issue -- on which Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has the last word -- was apparently the first time a top official had publicly accepted exchanging low-enriched uranium for nuclear medicine fuel off Iranian soil.

The White House said if Iran's offer was an "updated" one, Tehran should inform the Vienna-based IAEA...."


Posted by G, Z, or B at 7:19 PM

US Official: "... we are prepared to listen..."

POLITICO/ here

"... The U.S. reacted cautiously ... indicating it was willing to listen if Iran has genuinely changed its position on the fuel swap deal, while it was continuing preparations with key allies on sanctions for further pressuring Iran.....
"If Iran has something new to say, we are prepared to listen," a U.S. official said on condition of anonymity. "We made a good faith and balanced offer regarding the Tehran research reactor," National Security Council spokesman Mike Hammer said. "We believe it makes sense for all parties. If Mr. Ahmadinejad’s comments reflect an updated Iranian position, we look forward to Iran informing the IAEA."......
Ahmadinejad also reportedly told Iranian State TV that Iran would consider exchanging U.S. citizens being detained in Iran for Iranians being held abroad. "We are having talks to have an exchange if it is possible,” Ahmadinejad was cited. "We are hopeful that all prisoners will be released.”


The NSC's Hammer stressed that the reports of what Ahmadinejad said are fragmentary, and the U.S. has not entered into any discussion with Iran about an exchange. "With regards to what Ahmedinejad said, [I] want to stress that these reports are fragmentary. ....... "If President Ahmadinejad’s comments suggest that they are prepared to resolve these cases, we would welcome that step," Hammer continued. "But we have not entered into any discussion with Iran about an exchange. As we have indicated publicly, if Iran has questions about its citizens in U.S. custody, we are prepared to answer them."...."
Posted by G, Z, or B at 8:13 PM
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