French president calls for 'firmness and dialogue' to end Iranian nuclear standoff
© AP
25.09.2007 19:55:21
(live-PR.com) - UNITED NATIONS (AP) - French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Tuesday the international standoff over Iran's nuclear program will only be resolved with a combination of «firmness and dialogue.
Sarkozy, addressing the U.N. General Assembly for the first time since becoming president in May, said allowing Iran to arm itself with nuclear weapons would be an
«unacceptable risk to stability in the region and in the world.
«There will not be peace in the world if the international community falters in the face of the proliferation of nuclear arms,» Sarkozy said. The Iranian crisis «will only be resolved if firmness and dialogue go hand-in-hand.
The U.S. and many of its allies, including France, have been pressuring Iran to suspend its controversial nuclear program, which they believe is a cover for weapons development _ a charge Iran denies. U.S. President George W. Bush has refused to take military action off the table if Iran does not comply.
The U.N. has imposed limited sanctions on Iran for its refusal to halt uranium enrichment. Earlier Tuesday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel threatened tougher sanctions against Iran if Tehran remains intractable on the dispute over its nuclear program.
Merkel said she intends to make clear in her address to the General Assembly later in the day that an Iranian nuclear bomb would have devastating consequences not only for Israel and the whole of the Middle East, but for Europe and the rest of the world.
«For this reason, the international community must not let itself become splintered» in dealing with Iran, Merkel told reporters in New York.
«The world should not have to prove to Iran that it is building a (nuclear) bomb, but Iran must convince the world that it doesn't want to build a nuclear bomb,» Merkel said.
France increased the pressure on Iran earlier this month, with Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner saying the world should prepare for war if Iran obtains nuclear weapons and that European leaders were considering their own economic sanctions against the Islamic country.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad shrugged off the French warning of war, saying the comments were not to be taken seriously.
In a stinging defense of Iran, Nicaragua's leftist President Daniel Ortega chastised the U.S. for seeking to restrict Tehran's right to enrich uranium.
In his speech to the General Assembly, Ortega said the United States, as «the only country in the world to have dropped nuclear bombs on innocent people,» had no right to question the right of Iran and North Korea to pursue nuclear technology for «peaceful purposes.
«And even if they want nuclear power for purposes that are not peaceful, with what right does (the U.S.) question it?» he added.
Ortega has promised to maintain ties with Washington since taking office again in January, but also has signed a series of accords with Iran.
In Washington on Tuesday, the U.S. Congress also called for tighter sanctions against Ahmadinejad's government and the designation of his military as a terrorist group.
«Iran faces a choice between a very big carrot and a very sharp stick,» said Rep. Tom Lantos, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. «It is my hope that they will take the carrot. But today, we are putting the stick in place.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed, by a 397-16 vote, a proposal by Lantos, a Democrat, aimed at blocking foreign investment in Iran, in particular its lucrative energy sector. The bill would specifically bar the president from waiving U.S. sanctions.
But to become law, the House bill would have to be reconciled with any legislation the U.S. Senate may pass before going to Bush for signature.
Associated Press writers Alexandra Olson at the United Nations and Anne Flaherty in Washington contributed to this report.
Sarkozy, addressing the U.N. General Assembly for the first time since becoming president in May, said allowing Iran to arm itself with nuclear weapons would be an
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«There will not be peace in the world if the international community falters in the face of the proliferation of nuclear arms,» Sarkozy said. The Iranian crisis «will only be resolved if firmness and dialogue go hand-in-hand.
The U.S. and many of its allies, including France, have been pressuring Iran to suspend its controversial nuclear program, which they believe is a cover for weapons development _ a charge Iran denies. U.S. President George W. Bush has refused to take military action off the table if Iran does not comply.
The U.N. has imposed limited sanctions on Iran for its refusal to halt uranium enrichment. Earlier Tuesday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel threatened tougher sanctions against Iran if Tehran remains intractable on the dispute over its nuclear program.
Merkel said she intends to make clear in her address to the General Assembly later in the day that an Iranian nuclear bomb would have devastating consequences not only for Israel and the whole of the Middle East, but for Europe and the rest of the world.
«For this reason, the international community must not let itself become splintered» in dealing with Iran, Merkel told reporters in New York.
«The world should not have to prove to Iran that it is building a (nuclear) bomb, but Iran must convince the world that it doesn't want to build a nuclear bomb,» Merkel said.
France increased the pressure on Iran earlier this month, with Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner saying the world should prepare for war if Iran obtains nuclear weapons and that European leaders were considering their own economic sanctions against the Islamic country.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad shrugged off the French warning of war, saying the comments were not to be taken seriously.
In a stinging defense of Iran, Nicaragua's leftist President Daniel Ortega chastised the U.S. for seeking to restrict Tehran's right to enrich uranium.
In his speech to the General Assembly, Ortega said the United States, as «the only country in the world to have dropped nuclear bombs on innocent people,» had no right to question the right of Iran and North Korea to pursue nuclear technology for «peaceful purposes.
«And even if they want nuclear power for purposes that are not peaceful, with what right does (the U.S.) question it?» he added.
Ortega has promised to maintain ties with Washington since taking office again in January, but also has signed a series of accords with Iran.
In Washington on Tuesday, the U.S. Congress also called for tighter sanctions against Ahmadinejad's government and the designation of his military as a terrorist group.
«Iran faces a choice between a very big carrot and a very sharp stick,» said Rep. Tom Lantos, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. «It is my hope that they will take the carrot. But today, we are putting the stick in place.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed, by a 397-16 vote, a proposal by Lantos, a Democrat, aimed at blocking foreign investment in Iran, in particular its lucrative energy sector. The bill would specifically bar the president from waiving U.S. sanctions.
But to become law, the House bill would have to be reconciled with any legislation the U.S. Senate may pass before going to Bush for signature.
Associated Press writers Alexandra Olson at the United Nations and Anne Flaherty in Washington contributed to this report.
