Iranians Refuse to Terminate Nuclear Plans

As you will Bill, it was a simple and unremarkable remark and I won't argue with you.

It was not intended to be "condescending" and I can't help if you take disagreement with your position that way.

Have a good day.

Sure it wasn't, Craven. Look again… it's still transparent. :wink:

That's better! Have a good day yourself!

Al Jazeera alert tonight:


Russia to build second nuclear reactor in Iran
12/18/2004 6:30:00 PM GMT

"The physical launch of the 1st energy block should happen at the end of 2005," Rumyantsev said


Russia and Iran agreed on Friday to build a second nuclear reactor at Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant, officials said.

Iranian Economics and Finance Minister Safdar Hosseini announced the decision but did not specify when will the work on the project begin, saying that both countries will hold talks in the near future to discuss details.

Currently, Russia is helping Iran in building its first 800-million-dollar nuclear power plant in Bushehr, despite Western claims that the project could be used to develop nuclear weapons, according to Russian Federal Atomic Energy Agency Chief Alexander Rumyantsev.

"The physical launch of the (first) energy block should happen at the end of 2005 or the start of 2006, with it going on line in 2006," Rumyantsev was quoted as saying.

Rumyantsev said that Iran is also planning to build about seven other nuclear reactors and was currently holding talks with the European countries and Russia over the program.

Iran and Russia have repetitively denied Western accusation, specially the United States, that the Bushehr project could be used to produce nuclear weapons, affirming that it is mainly used for peaceful and civil purposes like generating power.

Russia has been demanding that Iran returns all waste spent fuel back to Russia before the plant starts working, however, no formal agreement has been reached yet between the two countries.

During his visit to Moscow, Hosseini and Russian officials also discussed a possible purchase of Russian passenger jets by Iran.

The two countries are expected to sign a contract for the delivery of five Russian Tu-204-100 aircraft to Teheran early next year, Russia's Industry and Trade Minister Viktor Khristenko said Friday.

Khristenko said that Iran may agree to buy "a large number of Russian planes" after further negotiations, without mentioning the value of the contract.

Earlier this month Iran agreed to fully suspend all its uranium enrichment-related activities in an attempt to calm international concern about its nuclear program.

Moscow insists that it has the right to move on with the Bushehr project.

Bilateral trade between Russia and Iran reached 1.45 billion U.S. dollars in the first nine months of the outgoing year, 1.39 billion dollars higher than the registered in 2003, and both sides expect 2-billion-dollar trade turnover next year.


Full padge - including reader comments:

http://www.aljazeera.com/cgi-bin/news_service/middle_east_full_story.asp?service_id=6340

What did Bush say? He looked in Putin's eyes and saw, don't remember exact wording, he saw a good man. I expect Putin looked in Bush's eyes and saw a man he could dupe.
The Russians are no more our friend nor less duplicitous than are the Iranian's