Aethelred the Unready Alert: Millions for Tribute, But Not One Cent For Defense. From AP, with thanks to the Constantinopolitan Irredentist:
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — A package of incentives that represents a major initiative by world powers to persuade Iran to curb its nuclear program contains “positive steps” but also some “ambiguities,” the country’s top nuclear negotiator said Tuesday.
Speaking on state television after receiving the proposals from EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, Ali Larijani called the talks with Solana “constructive” and said Iran would respond after studying the incentives.
The United States along with the four other veto-wielding members of the U.N. Security Council — Britain, France, Russia and China — drew up the package with Germany in a meeting in Vienna on Friday.
Solana, who arrived in Tehran on Monday night, met Larijani for two hours at the Supreme National Security Council building in central Tehran. Journalists were barred from the building.
“The proposals contain positive steps and also some ambiguities,” Larijani said, adding that more talks were needed.
“We hope we will have negotiations and deliberations again after we have carefully studied the proposals,” he said.
Solana was to explain the details of the package but go no further. The EU envoy, who is heading a seven-person delegation, was expected to meet Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki before leaving Iran later Tuesday.