US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice yesterday said that the US would talk to Iran if it will suspend its nuclear programme. Rice made clear that this was the only way that peace could be maintained in the Gulf.
Rice said: ‘The pursuit by the Iranian regime of nuclear weapons represents a direct threat to the entire international community, including to the United States and to the Persian Gulf region.’
However, the Iranian government has denied that it is seeking to build a nuclear weapon, but insists that it is going to proceed with a programme of developing nuclear power to supply Iran with energy, as is its national right.
It adds that Iran is for a Gulf and Middle East free from nuclear weapons, and that if Iran possessed a nuclear bomb, other states in the area, such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt, would proceed to equip themselves with one, which is not in Iran’s interests.
The US is opposed to a nuclear free Gulf and Middle East, since its strategic ally in the Middle East, Israel, has over 200 nuclear weapons plus the means of their delivery, plus other weapons of mass destruction, which it developed secretly with assistance from the western powers.
US allies India and Pakistan have also acquired nuclear weaponry, without any reaction from the US. Only US allies are to be allowed to acquire nuclear weaponry. States that it targets because of their oil and gas resources are not to be allowed these weapons, since organising regime changes in these countries would be all that more difficult.
Rice continued to threaten the Iranian people: ‘The Iranian people believe they have the right to civil nuclear energy, we acknowledge that right. . .
‘The Iranian government’s choices are clear. . . The positive and constructive choice is for the Iranian regime to alter its present course and cooperate in resolving the nuclear issue, beginning by immediately resuming suspension of all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, as well as full cooperation with the IAEA and returning to implementation of the Additional Protocol providing greater access for the IAEA.’
She adds: ‘The Iranian people believe they have the right to civil nuclear energy. We acknowledge that right. Yet the international agreements Iran has signed make clear that Iran’s exercise of that right must conform with its commitments.’ Iran does not have the unconditional right to civil nuclear energy, according to Rice and Bush.
In other words, the US is determined to put Iran in a scientific straight jacket, to keep it scientifically backward, and unable to reprocess or enrich uranium. It is to be a second class state and be completely dependent on the west for any civil nuclear industry, which although it may be sited in Iran will be policed by western agencies and dependent on western supplies.
The above is allegedly the carrot. Rice then produced the stick when she said: ‘The United States is willing to exert strong leadership to give diplomacy its very best chance to succeed. . . We urge Iran to make this choice for peace – to abandon its ambition for nuclear weapons.’ It is choose peace by subordinating yourself to the requirements of the US ruling class.
But the ‘peace’ choice is not to be linked to nuclear power alone. The US has other fish to fry.
Rice continued: ‘The Iranian government supports terror, is involved in violence in Iraq, and is undercutting the restoration of full sovereignty in Lebanon under UN Security Council Resolution 1559.’
What hypocrisy! It is not Iran who has murdered 100,000 Iraqis. Rice wants Iran to help the mass murdering US regime to douse the fires of Shi’ite revolt in Iraq. Rice also wants Iran to help disarm Hezbollah so that Lebanon can be dominated by Israel.
There is no doubt that the Iranian masses will tell their leaders that under no condition must Iran agree to any of the counter-revolutionary demands of US imperialism. Iran must allow the US and its allies to drown in the Iraqi quagmire that it has created.
