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Western Diplomats: Ahmadinejad's Move to Further Enrich Uranium Has Backfired

(Financial Times-UK) Daniel Dombey, Najmeh Bozorgmehr, and James Blitz - Western diplomats believe that President Ahmadinejad's pledge to enrich uranium to 20% purity, closer to the level needed to build a nuclear weapon, has backfired and begun to change the mood in the Security Council. A senior U.S. official told the Financial Times that the decision was a "hollow" and "provocative" gesture that would make sanctions more likely. "I think there is sufficient support in the council for sanctions," said the official. "The Iranians see the Russians clearly moving towards joining us in a sanctions resolution." He said, "The Chinese will vote 'yes' or abstain, and I think they are likely to vote 'yes'." Turkey, Brazil and Nigeria have signaled their doubts. However, the U.S. and its allies hope that, at the very worst, some of the non-aligned members of the Security Council might simply abstain. "I think Iran all along intended to enrich to 20%," said Mark Fitzpatrick, proliferation expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, "ostensibly to supply the research reactor but also to gain experience enriching to higher levels that would prove useful for weapons production."
2010-02-10 10:41:01
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