Iran again demonstrates its intention to dictate the timetable of when and if it will discuss its nuclear program, encouraged by the West's continuing and utter lack of will to demand otherwise.
1938 Alert from AP: "Iran again says no reply 'til mid-August"
TEHRAN, Iran - Iran rejected calls Tuesday for a quick answer to the package of Western incentives aimed at persuading it to suspend its uranium enrichment program, insisting that it will come up with a formal response by mid August.
Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Iran had to take time to study the proposal carefully before it offered a formal reply, and he hinted Tehran planned to negotiate some aspects of the package before answering.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, urged Iran to accept the incentives and China also called on Tehran to respond quickly.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said his country would wait until mid-August to respond to the Western offer, prompting President Bush to accuse Tehran of dragging its feet.
Mottaki confirmed the mid-August date would not change, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported.
"The date announced by the Islamic Republic of Iran for responding to the proposed package is unchangeable," IRNA quoted Mottaki as saying.
"The (mid-August) date announced by Iran was based on the necessity for a comprehensive and accurate study of the package and is unalterable," Mottaki was quoted as saying.
He hinted that Iran would negotiate some aspects of the deal before offering a formal response. "What can happen until that (mid-August) date is talks between Iran, the European Union and other countries that contributed in drawing up the package," he said.
Mottaki made the announcement as Iran's top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani prepared to meet European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana on Wednesday in Brussels to discuss the package.
Solana presented the package when he visited Tehran on June 6. It offers Iran a range of incentives in exchange for a long-term moratorium on uranium enrichment, a process that can produce material for nuclear generators, or atomic bombs.
The five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany want Iran to respond to the incentives as early as this week, before the July 15-17 summit of the Group of Eight industrialized nations in Russia.
Meanwhile, in the near future...
TEHRAN, Iran - Iran rejected calls Tuesday for a quick answer to its recent nuclear strike on Tel Aviv, insisting that it will try to come up with a formal response by next year.
The five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany condemned the attacks and said that a strongly worded warning was not out of the question.
Oh no!
You know what this means?!?
We have to come up with another deadline, quick!
How about Shrove Tuesday?
So no reply until mid-August! Which year? Are we talking about mid-August 2010? They're making us look like spineless and toothless mugs, and if Ahmadinejad gets his wish and Israel gets nuked, then Iran gets totally destroyed in the counterstrike, it'll be on the easily-led dhimmis heads. But who seems bothered these days?
I read this news. They gave a specific date. August 22 is when they will reply. Does this have significance other than the time element that they are obviously gaining ?
", and he hinted Tehran planned to negotiate some aspects of the package before answering."
A test for the "west" here, as the condition to consider the package Iran must first stop the nuclear work. They are writing the new rules here. Will not work as long as the package is not revised, as offered by the "west".
A non starter, and Iran is stalling here. How far can they, or will they push?
The deadline means nothing and will come to nothing, the United States will see to that.
Jet
they have a icbmi could be they have a nuke war head on the way from n korea , and think if they threaten to launch it at wa dc the usa will back down ,at that point the only option i can see is a first strike on ALL nuke armed rouge states like n korea pakisan and iran ,using subs so they do not have time to fuel and launch their birds