Iran not to pursue production of nuclear bomb
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
Tehran, May 30, IRNA -- Enriching uranium up to 20 percent is Iran’s legal right and it is not for production of nuclear weapons, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said here Wednesday in an interview with France 24 television.
anian president reiterated Iran's "legal right" to enrich uranium to 20 percent and said other countries would have to explain why Iran was not allowed to do this and what they would offer Iran in exchange if it stopped enriching uranium.
Asked if Tehran would accept an offer under which other countries would enrich its uranium if it suspended its nuclear program, Ahmadinejad said he was open to it.
"That offer has not been made, but it would ease the situation and would help build trust," he said.
Iran’s president added that he did not expect talks next month with six world powers in Moscow on Iran's nuclear program to yield any major breakthroughs.
"We are not expecting miracles at the next meeting," Ahmadinejad said.
"There will be areas of work that will go in the right direction and we will work towards them so that we would reach a constructive accord."
He said that Tehran had "good proposals" to make, but that it would only announce them when the time was right, and both sides had to work hand in hand to restore confidence.
Ahmadinejad also condemned the killing of 108 people, many of them children, in the Syrian town of Houla last week, saying those who had committed the crime should be punished. "All those who carried out these murders are guilty and I hope the people responsible would be punished," he said.
Ahmadinejad also said that the West and certain Arab countries were interfering in Syria and were sending weapons to help bring down the government.
"We cannot trust these people because their objective is to bring down (the Syrian President Bashar al-) Assad," he said.
Regarding lack of trust, he said that the matter is lack of trust in both sides, as it has always been, and in order to reach the mutual trust position we need to sit hand in hand with each other and negotiate with all sides abiding by the laws.
President Ahmadinejad said that this way an atmosphere of cooperation would be created to replace that of mistrust, which must be based on justice and equal rights, amid which achieving results would be possible.
Elsewhere in the interview the IRI president asked, “Are the western countries which have atomic bombs trustworthy? Should we trust them under such conditions that they are producing 99% enriched uranium? Which is more dangerous: the atomic bombs or the 20% enriched uranium?”
Ahmadinejad added, “”They have atomic bombs and we do not protest, although we are basically opposed to atomic bombs. Let me put it in other words: They have to change their attitude towards the Iranian nation. Their image of the Iranian nation and the literature they use are neither appropriate. Iran is an ancient country with a rich history and the type of dialogue with this country and this nation is very insulting. They have committed crimes, but Iran has not. Iran has not massacred the peoples. It is us that should have claims against them, because they act insultingly. We must take advantage of our rights.”
In response to a question of France 24 on the “threats made by Israel”, he said, “How would the west have reacted if we had threatened the Zionist regime using the words they have used? Are the laws subject to interpretations? Can we not claim that the root causes for the world problems is this kind of approach? Iran is a country with seven thousand years of civilization. The Iranian government is justice based, and not a forged one.”
France 24 asked what Iran’s reaction would be if Israel would attack.
President Ahmadinejad replied, “”I would like to discuss the matters seeking their root causes; otherwise Iran’s might is clear for everyone. Iran is a great power and many powers have fallen in confrontation with Iran. The Zionists are not even worth mentioning.”
He added, “The Iranians have always made their enemies feel sorry. Where is Saddam today, who was backed up by the west and ended his interview half-way through, arguing that the other part of it would be held in Tehran? Where is Iran ? The whole world know what would happen (in case of an Israeli attack)! That is the reason why we need to survey the root cause of the matters.”
He said, “Why must the western nations be sacrificed before the feet of the Zionists? Why no western personality reacts when they threaten? They are not sanctioned. It is very bad.”
In response to France 24, he said, “”Did we take part in the negotiations so that Israel would not invade us? Is the world’s problem the nuclear issue or the issue is their invasion against Iran and the west is opposed to an Israeli invasion against Iran? Then, the problem is the Zionist regime, not Iran. If it will cease threatening there is no problem and we can cooperate. We are not feared of an Israeli invasion. The Iranian nation is well known and attaches no value to such threats, but this is not the right way to rule the world. This is a bad way of ruling. Why is the money of the French people and the Europeans contributed to the Zionists to invade Iran? Tell me the reason what the cause for the enmity of French people is against the Iranian people.
He added, “What is the problem between the Iranian and the French nations? Why and what for must the French nation be against and opposed to us?”
** The Palestinian nation would decide its own fate itself
In response to the France 24’s question whether he thinks with the presidency of Francoise Oland a new page would be opened in Tehran-Paris relations, he said, “”I believe the first responsibility of a government is replying to the demands of its nation and at the international scene, too, it is a follower of the people. We must always favor friendship rather than war and invasion, and that is the way we are. The French government, too, can get involved in fine activities at the international scene and consider adopting independent decisions and that which fits the prestige of the French nation. Regarding the presence of the French forces in Afghanistan and cooperation with Iran the people’s ideas should be sought.
“We make every possible effort aimed at reforming the affairs and establishment of justice in the world. We are not anyone’s enemy, and we are in pursuit of friendship.”
The France 24 reporter asked about the tragic events in vicinity of Hawla city, claiming that a large number of women and children have been massacred with the warfare of the Syrian army, and the images reveal this fact. The Iranian president replied, “”We are depressed due to the severity of this event and look, it has been two years now that the regional nations have been under pressure. It is the right of the entire nations to be free; to have free elections and to implement their wills, and there is no exception. The entire Syrians are dear for us. We have no divisions. The entire nations are dear for us. Even getting killed of a single individual is a catastrophe and we are seriously depressed. Anyone who has committed this crime is condemned. With any objective and intention, and I hope these fact finding committees at the spot would get access to realities, and making mistakes and wrong data would end, because the two sides keep accusing each other.”
The president added, “The agents who have created this crime must be identified and punished, but there is one major problem in the region, and that is the interference of the aliens.”
France 24 asked whether the foreign terrorists are responsible, or Bashar al-Assad? Ahmadinejad replied, “I have no judgment presently and it is the fact finding committee that should announce, but it is a very remote possibility that a government would kill its own nation. It has no benefit for a government, and why at all should a government kill its own nation? A massacre which has no benefit and must be clarified and its committers must be put to trial and punished. They are after harming Bashar al-Assad’s government.”
France 24 asked how come Iran was happy with the downfall of Bin Ali in Tunisia, Mubarak in Egypt, and Qaddafi in Libya, but adopts a different stand regarding Syria? The president replied, “I have announced my opinion regarding the westerners’ stands. We do not get sensational like them. We are supporters of the Syrian nation and favor implementing the reforms and materializing the people’s demands. But it is the nations itself that must do so, needless of the intervention of the foreigners and now we are witnesses of foreign interference in Syria. I mean the western governments are openly interfering. This flood of weapons is clear and some regional governments, too, have announces they are arming the opponents.”
He said, “It goes without saying that you have access to the news, and I do not directly refer to them, and these interferences have not helped. We have our usual policy regarding Bashar al-Assad, like the other countries. We respect the nations and it is the nations that are important for us, even in Europe we are not opposed to any nation.”
** Iran is a deep rooted country with a great free nation and an ancient history
France 24 asked about the events after the 2009 Presidential Elections in Iran. Ahmadinejad asked, “How long have you been in Iran? You must stay here at least a week and see everywhere. Iran is a country with an ancient history and the Iranians are a free nation. They express their opinions and the government, too, performs is duties.”
The reporter asked about Neda Aqa-Soltan, adding whether or not the dispatched images of that women have the signs of a dictatorship, or not? The president said, “We are sorry for that event and so is the Iranian nation. Anyone who heard the news is sorry, but this event occurred by the hands of individuals outside the disciplinary and security forces; similar to what they did to damage the reputation of Hugo Chavez. This in not a new phenomenon that someone would get killed by aliens; Ms Neda Aqa-Soltan got killed by foreigners.
He added, “We did not expect the French government to adopt such stands either; such event take place everywhere in the world. They occurred in recent arsons in France; there were disputes and aggression.”
On being summoned to the Parliament, he said, “The majority of the MPs are my friends and colleagues. The elections in Iran totally differ with those in the west. In our country we do not have political parties to say this party was defeated. No one participates at the elections with the label of a supporter, or an opponent of the government. They asked me questions in accordance with the constitution and I replied to the Parliament. Is this a bad thing that I replied to the Parliament? They asked questions and we, too, gave them replied. It was nothing particular. Of course the media gave a broad coverage to it. It was a natural matter for me, and like my other activities.”
France 24 spoke about the relations between the Leader of the Revolution and the President. Ahmadinejad replied, “The relations are defined and there are issues which should not be spoken about, but no one presents any witnesses, or documents. I usually do not heed such comments. They intend to make stories out of nothing.
The Iranian president added, “The position of the leader is defines and so is the position of the president. I have regular two-hour meetings with his eminence and nothing irregular exists.”
The France 24 reporter claimed there is a power struggle. The president said, “What do you mean by power struggle? Such definitions fit the power scenes which exist in the west. Such literature are alien in Iran and after all, do you think this is an important question? Do the world problems evolve around such question?’
Ahmadinejad added, “I believe the problems are beyond these, and we need to discuss management of the world. There are problems everywhere in the world. There are economic, political, and social problems, and poverty. Look at France and the poverty problem there.”
On the issue of the western imposed sanctions, he said, “There are problems everywhere in the world. Is France not faced with economic problems? Are the people at ease there? And they are not under any sanctions after all; but what if they were under the pressure of sanctions, too?”
The president reiterated, “The sanctions are a sign of the roots of the way that the world is governed today. The present international policies are not at the service of the wellbeing of the nations and my question is: which of the world problems is solved with these sanctions? Do they bring security? Do they guarantee the observation of human rights, or not?”
He said, “”basically the problem is with type of global governing. Those who care for the human society must solve these problems. This type of management sow the seeds of difference among nations.”
The president said, “I, Ahmadinejad, love the entire European nations and it bothers me to see they are faced with economic problems. I would like to help them, but the world management system does not permit me to do so. If we would correct that system the nations would become friends and the problems would be resolved.
In case of recent nuclear talks between Iran and G5+1, it should be noted that Secretary of Supreme National Security Council of Iran (SNSCI), Saeed Jalili had two-day intensive talks with the G5+1, headed by the EU Foreign Policy Chief, Catherine Ashton, on Iran nuclear issue.
EU foreign policy chief, who headed the delegations of the six world powers in negotiations with Tehran, announced in the joint press conference with Jalili that the two sides made progress and held positive talks in Baghdad on Wednesday and Thursday.
Secretary of Supreme National Security Council of Iran also said on last Thursday that the Tehran-G5+1 talks were held in a good atmosphere.
The Baghdad meeting came after Iran and the six world powers resumed talks in Istanbul, Turkey, last month and agreed to meet again in the Iraqi capital on May 23.
The two sides are due to continue their negotiations in the Russian capital, Moscow, on June 18 and 19.
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Islamic Republic News Agency/IRNA NewsCode: 1019826
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