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APRIL 13, 2009--
DEBKA--
Iran rejects big powers proposal for resumed nuclear talks,
Peres threatens military strike
DEBKAfile Special Report
April 13, 2009, 4:14 PM (GMT+02:00)
Iran's home-made nuclear fuel rods exhibited DEBKAfile's Iranian sources report two key developments in the standoff over Iran's
nuclear drive: Tehran effectively rejected the latest offer by the five UN Security Council permanent members plus Germany
of nuclear negotiations with direct US involvement. This shut the door on US president Barack Obama's first diplomatic gambit
for direct dialogue with Tehran.
Sunday, Israeli President Shimon Peres told an Israeli radio interviewer that if President Barack
Obama's diplomatic efforts to prevent Iran from going nuclear failed, "We'll strike him," referring to Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad.
Our Iranian experts note that Ali Larijani, speaker of the Iranian parliament (Majlis), was
chosen for his government's rebuff as a mark of unity in the regime's top ranks on the nuclear question.
Later, senior Iranian negotiator, Jalili phoned EU official Javier Solana to correct the impression
by saying Tehran "welcomed the talks", but he did not contradict the conditions laid down by Larijani, his superior.
As a former nuclear negotiator himself, Larijani projected the image in the West of a pragmatic,
moderate diplomat. As radical as any of his colleagues, he now said: "The Iranian government will only conduct international
negotiations on the nuclear issue that are approved by the parliament and the legislature will closely monitor all such talks."
He then added: "The proposal by some members of the 5+1 group calling for more intrusive inspections
of Iran's nuclear activities is not legal" – a direct snub of US secretary of state Hillary Clinton's demand on April
9 for Iran to ensure that the UN nuclear watchdog be "a source of credible information."
In making negotiations contingent on Majlis approval, the Speaker invoked the 2007 measure which
banned the cessation of uranium enrichment and prohibited concessions on Iran's nuclear program. Larijani thus informed the
six world powers that Iran's stipulation for taking up their proposed talks is that uranium enrichment and all other aspects
of Iran's nuclear program be excluded from the agenda.
Obama's planned dialogue with Tehran received another setback Saturday, April 4, from Moscow.
Shortly after the six powers published their proposal, foreign minister Sergei Lavrov told the Russia parliament: "Relations
between Russia and its neighbor Iran are expanding at high speed." He added that his country was sparing no effort to remove
"remaining ambiguities in the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear activities….after their removal," said Lavrov, "Iran
will enjoy equal rights with other members of the NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty)."
According to DEBKAfile's Moscow sources, Lavrov underlined a dramatic turnabout
in Moscow's approach to Iran's nuclear activities. He downgraded the enormity of Iran's violation of the NPT terms as "ambiguities,"
indicating they were too petty for the fussing Russia's fellow powers, the US, France, Britain and Germany were making over
them and advising them to accept the Iranian program as a fait accompli.
And talking of "ambiguities," Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Thursday, April 9, opened
a plant for producing uranium fuel in industrial quantities and said Iran is testing two new high-capacity enrichment centrifuges.
According to Israeli and Western intelligence sources, this would also put the Arak heavy plant
on the fast track for the manufacture of plutonium, alongside the weapons-grade enrichment of uranium.
Palestinian remote-controlled explosives boat intercepted
near Israeli shore
April 13, 2009, 1:31 PM (GMT+02:00)
Israel's chief of staff Lt. Gen. Gaby Ashkenazi said the unmanned Palestinian "fishing boat"
from the Gaza Strip which exploded 400 meters from the Israeli coast Monday, April 13 was primed with hundreds of kilograms
of explosives to attack an Israeli vessel. DEBKAfile's military sources report that it was detonated by remote
control from the shore.
Israeli counter-terror forces have been on the alert on air, sea and land for the eight-day
Passover festival which ends Wednesday. They suspect Palestinian terrorists of trying out a new method of attacking Israeli
coastal targets or offshore Israeli Navy units by means of exploding sea craft driven by remote control.
Palestinian sources claimed earlier that the craft was a regular fishing boat which came under
Israeli naval fire. They did not explain why it was unmanned or crammed with explosives
Who runs Obama's foreign policy show?
Next DEBKA-Net-Weekly
April 13, 2009, 1:11 PM (GMT+02:00)
DEBKA-Net-Weekly's next issue examines how Barack Obama plays his key functionaries on this vital
chessboard. How smooth is the cooperation between the White House, secretary of state Hillary Clinton and presidential envoys,
Richard Holbrook for AfPak and George Mitchell for the Middle East?
Don't miss this revealing D.C. close-up in the coming issue out next Friday.
To subscribe to DEBKA-Net-Weekly click HERE .
ARUTZ--
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