Germany could accept nuclear enrichment in Iran

WORLD / Middle East

 Germany could accept nuclear enrichment in Iran
(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-06-29 08:56

Iran should be allowed to enrich uranium for power generation provided
there is close monitoring by U.N. inspectors to ensure it is not trying
to develop atomic weapons, Germany's defense minister said.

German Defence Minister Franz Josef Jung during an interview with Reuters
at the defence ministry in Berlin, June 26, 2006. Iran should be allowed
to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes with close monitoring by U.N.
inspectors to ensure that it is not trying to develop atomic weapons,
Germany's defence minister said. [Reuters]

The minister's comments may suggest that after years of failed
negotiations with Iran, Germany and some other Western powers were
willing to compromise with Iran over enrichment in order to resolve
peacefully the nuclear stand-off with Tehran.

But it was clear that this view was unacceptable to Washington, which
contacted the German government to clarify it and said Berlin had
dismissed the Reuters story as "erroneous."

But the German government did not challenge the story.

In an interview with Reuters this week, Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung
was asked if Iran should be allowed to enrich uranium under the scrutiny
of the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

He said: "Yes, I think so. The offer includes everything. That means the
civilian use of nuclear energy is possible but not atomic weapons. And
monitoring mechanisms must be applied. I think it would be wise for Iran
to accept this offer," he said.

Jung was referring to a June 6 offer of incentives made to Iran by
Germany and the five permanent U.N. Security Council members -- the
United States, Britain, France, China and Russia.

State Department spokesman deputy spokesman Adam Ereli denied there were
any divisions among the major powers. He said that the German government
had been contacted about the interview and told Washington "this is an
erroneous story."

But Berlin did not deny it or say that it was "erroneous."

German government spokesman Ulrich Wilhelm said in a statement to Reuters
that it stood firm with the five council members on the issue of Iran in
backing the June 6 offer and reiterated that Berlin wanted Iran to
suspend enrichment in order to enable negotiations on the offer to take
place.

"It's up to Iran, through a suspension of enrichment, to create the
conditions for negotiations and win back international trust," Wilhelm
said.

"Nothing has changed regarding the position of the six countries and the
German government," he said.

Western countries worry that Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons
under cover of an atomic power program. Iran says it only wants peaceful
nuclear energy.

Diplomats familiar with the offer say it does allow for Iran to enrich,
though the timeframe would have to be negotiated.

Jung did not mention any timeframe when Iran - which has been enriching
uranium for months on a small scale - could be permitted to make nuclear
fuel with the West's blessing. But he said close IAEA oversight would be
sufficient to show the world whether Tehran's nuclear program was as
peaceful as it says.

"IAEA inspections can provide those assurances through monitoring. That
is not a problem," he said.

It may be that the implication that Iran could, at least in theory,
safely enrich uranium under IAEA supervion is what prompted the U.S.
reaction to Jung's comments. Many in Washington would prefer that Iran
not enrich at all for many years to come - if ever.

But according to one IAEA diplomat, who requested anonymity due to the
sensitivity of the issue, there are officials in all six of the countries
that made the offer who agree with Jung.

Jung, a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative Christian
Democrats, said he understood U.S. reservations but added that a ban on
Iranian enrichment work was unrealistic.

"One cannot forbid Iran from doing what other countries in the world are
doing in accordance with international law. The key point is whether a
step toward nuclear weapons is taken. This cannot happen," he said.

Although all six countries that back the incentives offer would prefer
that Iran suspend its enrichment program, there is growing concern that
the deadlock over whether Iran should be allowed keep its enrichment
program could prevent negotiations with Iran from ever taking place,
diplomats in Vienna have said.

The IAEA diplomat said Jung's comments were a nice surprise.

"If this position is not retracted or undermined by accusations of
going-it-alone, then it's real news," the diplomat said. "If we all want
a negotiated solution, this is the only realistic, sensible and
reasonable way forward."

Tehran has yet to respond to the offer and the United States and Germany
have called for an answer by the G8 summit in July.

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