Iran's Ahmadinejad rules out nuclear talks - knowing Obama won't do anything about it

“The appeasement of Tyrants to avoid war achieves neither.”-W.S. Churchill…

from Breitbart.com
May 25, 2009

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Monday that the Islamic republic will not hold nuclear talks with the group of world powers known as 5-plus-1.
"The nuclear issue is over for us. The talks outside the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) will only be about participation in the management of the world and bringing peace to the world," he told journalists from international news organisations.

"We have said this before and we are saying it right now, that we will not talk about the nuclear issue with those outside the IAEA. The Iranian nation will not allow anyone outside the IAEA to discuss our nuclear issue."

However, he said he was ready to have a debate at the United Nations with US President Barack Obama on global issues.

He said had invited former US president George W. Bush to a debate and if he is re-elected as president in the June 12 vote, he will "extend the invitation" to Obama.

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana held talks with Iranian nuclear negotiator Said Jalili in April about discussions with the six world powers on Tehran's controversial atomic activities.

Solana has been authorised by six negotiating powers -- UN Security Council veto-wielding permanent members Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States plus Germany -- to discuss the issue with Tehran.

In April, Iran said it was ready for a "constructive dialogue" with the world powers, while vowing to continue with its nuclear activities.

Global powers fear that Iran's nuclear drive could be a cover for efforts to build an atomic bomb, but Tehran insists it is aimed purely at generating electricity for a growing population.

Ahmadinejad has also said previously that Tehran would present its own package of proposals to the six powers.

He said the package was a new version of proposals offered by Iran in May 2008, which proposed the formation of consortiums to enrich uranium and manufacture nuclear fuel, including one in Iran.

The international group of six's nuclear dialogue with Iran has been on hold since last September.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in April that the Obama administration is prepared to push for tough sanctions against Iran if the new dialogue fails.
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