Israel Matzav

Annan on Iran: More appeasement; Ahmadinadinnerjacket coming to New York

UN Secretary General Kofi Goofy Annan said today that the way to deal with Iran's nuclear ambitions is 'patience.' That's right, be patient, and soon Iran will have nuclear weapons and then we can 'discuss' what to do about it.

Iran's foreign minister offered UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan his country's full cooperation over a Security Council resolution on the truce between Israel and Hezbollah, a UN spokesman said Saturday after talks in Tehran.

Annan also met with Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, describing the meeting as "constructive."

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told Annan he could count on his "full cooperation" on resolution 1701, Ahmad Fawzi, a spokesman for Annan said. "We are pleased to hear that."

...

Annan's visit to Iran takes place two days after the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), reported Tehran had failed to meet the UN Security Council's August 31 deadline to suspend sensitive work.

After meeting with Ali Larijani, the top Iranian nuclear negotiator, Annan said, "I have just had very good and constructive discussions with Mr. Larijani."

"As you can imagine we discussed the nuclear issue and many other issues of concern to Iran and to the United Nations," he said.

Larijani said the secretary-general's "stance for solving the nuclear problems is positive."

"Both sides agreed that problems to be solved through negotiations," he added.

Larijani is scheduled to hold talks with EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana early next week.

The UN spokesman said Annan held a telephone conversation with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad prior to the visit. He is due to meet Ahmadinejad on Sunday.

"(Ahmadinejad) had told him that while he had some reservations over some articles in the resolution, he would nevertheless cooperate in it's implementation," Fawzi said, without giving details about Iran's reservations.

Annan said in a newspaper interview before arriving that he hoped for a diplomatic solution that would "avoid another conflict in a region already subjected to a great stress at this moment."

Asked about indications that the United States wants to move to sanctions, he told the French daily Le Monde, "I do not believe that sanctions are the solution to all problems."

"There are moments when a bit of patience produces lots of effects. I think that is a quality we must exercise more often," he said in the interview, published Saturday.

...

Ahmadinejad will visit New York this month to attend the United Nations General Assembly, state television IRIB reported Saturday.

In an interview with IRIB, Mottaki confirmed that Ahmadinejad will visit the UN General Assembly and address the assembly.

Why is the US going to grant Ahmadinadinnerjacket a visa?

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 6:16 AM