Iran accuses US of "psychological war"
09.04.2006 um 13:54TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran on Sunday brushed aside what it called a U.S. "psychologicalwar" against its nuclear programme after a published report described Pentagon planningfor possible military strikes against Iranian atomic facilities.A report by influentialinvestigative journalist Seymour Hersh in The New Yorker magazine, citing unnamed currentand former officials, said Washington has stepped up plans for possible attacks onIranian facilities to curb its atomic work.The article said the United States wasconsidering using tactical nuclear weapons to destroy Iran's underground uraniumenrichment facilities at Natanz, south of Tehran.
"This is a psychological warlaunched by Americans because they feel angry and desperate regarding Iran's nucleardossier," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told a weekly news conference.
"We will stand by our right to nuclear technology. It is our red line. We are readyto deal with any possible scenario. Iran is not afraid of threatening language," headded.
The United Nations has called on Iran to halt uranium enrichment, whichthe West believes Iran is pursuing to acquire technology to make a nuclear bomb. Iran hasrejected the demand and insists it only wants to make fuel for civilian uses.Iran'sdecision in January to resume enrichment prompted Britain, France and Germany to breakoff 2-1/2 years of EU talks with Tehran and back a U.S. demand to refer Iran to the U.N.Security Council, which can impose sanctions.
Asefi said Iran was ready to continueits cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency and said IAEA chief MohamedElBaradei would visit Iran by Friday to discuss Iran's cooperation with the IAEA.
"We have always had good cooperation with the IAEA and we will continue to do so," hesaid.
ElBaradei is expected to provide a report to the Council on Iran's nuclearprogramme entitled "the process of Iranian compliance" at the end of this month.
ElBaradei has said he has found no proof of a weapons programme in Iran but at thesame time has said he cannot give the Islamic Republic a clean bill of health.
AnIAEA official has said earlier that ElBaradei would travel to Iran on Tuesday orWednesday for a day of meetings in Tehran to try to win more cooperation from Tehran.
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I think the Iranscenario is becoming worse, every day. I don't know if there is any chance left, toprevent the next gulf-war. When you look upon the First World War there are similarities.Many people are at this moment trying to put through their national interests. This iskind of frightening, I think.
What do you think, will the consequences be, whenthere is a new (world?!) war, having it's starting point in the Middle East.
Let the dream begin,
let your darker side give in...
..::Phantom of the Opera::..