Sarkozy: Iran Ambitions May Provoke Attack, Assad Actions Irreparable
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
France's President Nicolas Sarkozy warned on Wednesday that Iran's alleged attempts to build long-range missiles and nuclear weapons could lead unnamed countries to launch a pre-emptive attack.
"Its military nuclear and ballistic ambitions constitute a growing threat that may lead to a preventive attack against Iranian sites that would provoke a major crisis that France wants to avoid at all costs," he said.
Sarkozy did not say which country might launch such a strike, but it has been reported that Israel -- perhaps with U.S. support -- has considered bombing Iranian nuclear sites if it believes Tehran is close to building a weapon.
The French leader placed the blame for the crisis on Iran, which insists it has no intention of building a nuclear weapon, and is merely enriching nuclear fuel for medical research and a domestic atomic energy program.
"Iran refuses to negotiate seriously," he told an annual meeting of French diplomats. "Iran is carrying out new provocations in response to the challenge from the international community for it to provide a credible response."
Sarkozy said France would work with its allies to build support for tougher international sanctions against Tehran's Islamist regime, in a bid to force it to back down over its enrichment program.
Tehran currently does its uranium enrichment, the most sensitive part of its program, at the Natanz facility in central Iran, with plans to divert the 20-percent purification process to a new site near the holy city of Qom.
The U.N. Security Council has repeatedly ordered Tehran to halt all uranium enrichment until its agency the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is satisfied by the peaceful nature of its nuclear activities.
But, despite being targeted by four sets of U.N. Security Council sanctions over its refusal to suspend enrichment, Iran remains adamant that it will push ahead and denies Western claims that it seeks to build a nuclear bomb.
This week Iran upped the ante once again, announcing that it had abandoned talks with the international community to negotiate a nuclear fuel swap that would see it forego its own enrichment in return for civilian-level fuel.
Western powers fear that if Iran perfects enrichment technology it could rapidly convert uranium into weapons grade material and thus be considered a "threshold" nuclear power capable of rapidly constructing a bomb.
Tackling the Syrian crisis, Sarkozy said that the actions of President Bashar Al-Assad had caused "irreparable" damage to his legitimacy and vowed to support his overthrow.
Sarkozy said France will do whatever is "legally" within its power in order to ensure a victory of Syria's pro-democracy movement over Assad's regime.
"The regime in Damascus wrongly believes it is safe from its own people," Sarkozy said, referring to Assad's ongoing battle to suppress pro-democracy street protests that have erupted in Syrian cities.
"What the Syrian president has done is irreparable. France, with its partners, will do all that is legally possible in order that the Syrian people's hopes for freedom and democracy are triumphant."
On the Palestinian bid for U.N. recognition, Sarkozy said that the European Union should decide en bloc whether and when to recognize the Palestinian Authority's bid for United Nations recognition as a state.
"I hope that the 27 countries of the European Union speak with a single voice. We should live up to our responsibilities together," Sarkozy said.
The Palestinians leadership plans to formally submit a request for United Nations membership on September 20 when world leaders begin gathering in New York for the 66th session of the U.N. General Assembly.
This comes after direct peace talks with Israel ran aground late last year in a dispute over Jewish settlement construction on occupied Palestinian land.
The situation on the ground has since worsened, with renewed settlement building in East Jerusalem and periodic rocket attacks on Israeli targets by Palestinian militants based in the Gaza Strip.
Israel implacably opposes such a statehood move, saying negotiations are the only way to resolve the conflict and establish a Palestinian state, a position backed strongly by would-be Middle East peace broker the United States.
France and some other European states have been more sympathetic to the Palestinians' frustration, but Paris wants to head off a diplomatic showdown that could finish off the already paralyzed peace process.
31 August 2011, 20:57
04
Sarkozy is only saying the obvious.
Bigidiot, if you think Libyan rebels could have succeeded without NATO, then you are not only stupid, but also ignorant.
After Qaddafi, Assad is next. It won't be long before Iran is also brought down to it's true size.
31 August 2011, 21:25
02
Check the real plan of Hezbollah for the future of Lebanon on Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnm37baZfAk
31 August 2011, 21:34
05
"the end of israel" if NATO attacks Syria loooooool?? you must be joking hehehe.. they could not "end" the occupation of Golan for 40 years stupid bigdig, and in fact have not fired a single shot on Israel for decades not even in response to the many attacks Israel carried out. The real threat to Israel idiot is the free Syrian people not the regime that is tacitly protecting israel's border (much better than Jordan and Egypt) and if NATO (Turkey) does attack Syria with the help of the Syrian people on the ground then your Bashar is finished in 3-4 months, the only realistic thing is that thousands would die. But get real, Syria is no military threat except against the poor Syrians. And quit being suni-hater racist, it is not good for you, they are the vast majority in the Arab world 15-1. Hizb A will not do a thing and in fact will start calculating (as it is already doing) for the post Assad era.. and so would iran, they are all talk.
31 August 2011, 22:01
03
@ bigdig
You deserve to be crushed under the boots of Assad and GADHAFI.
31 August 2011, 22:22
04
I wonder why has Israel been fortifying it's border with Syria ever since the revolution started there, I guess since 1973 they felt very safe and protected by the Assads,
31 August 2011, 22:59
02
As European, I can tell you that President Sarkozy isn't a good president on a national level, however, he's much better in his foreign policies and I applaud his swift reactions in Libya and Iran/Syria.
31 August 2011, 23:02
20
Sarkozy should mind his own financial scandal. ha ha ha
Turkey's role has ended. Turkey made it clear that she opposes to military campaign and/or economic sanctions against Syria. And Saudi Arabia announced disappointment at Turkey's inability to fulfill its promise with partner countries.
All of these happend due to LOW QUALITY of the Middle Eastern studies and intelligence of the west, including the United States, Israel, France and Turkey.
I remembered a miserable failure of Israel's war against Lebanon in 1982. They relied on the Maronites only and failed. This time the west relied on Turkey and failed.
According to Mr al-Assad, Syria will conduct a general election in next February. I believe al-Baath will secure a considerable numbers of seat partly because they have an organizational power, and party because the foreign pressure will motivate people to vote for al-Baath.
I want to see how will Sarkozy react if the national support for al-Baath is proved.
31 August 2011, 23:11
02
Bigidiot..... you have confirmed your ignorance and your stupidity. NATO can militarily remove any government in the ME or Africa (including Syria and Iran), with or without the people, however they wisely did not send "boots on the ground" and allied with the Libyan opposition to overthrow the dictator Qaddafi.
You mentioned "Iran's warning"??????? HAHAHAHAHA, good one. Please don't make me laugh so hard. Iran is no more than a mosquito compared to NATO. They fought Saddam to a standstill, and Saddam didn't last more than a month. Sure it took a while to find him hiding in his rat hole, but his government was toppled in less than a month.
Libya is the new model for change, and your allied regime dictators in Syria and Iran are shaking in their blood-stained boots because they know they are next. The majority of people want to overthrow the regimes in Syria and Iran, and they will rise up to kick out those murdering dictators.
31 August 2011, 23:46
02
Bigidiot..... wrong again.
The West is very eager to bomb Iran, they are just waiting for the right circumstances. Things are winding down in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya, so more resources will soon be more available. A new model has been developed in Libya, so less NATO lives will be at stake.
But first the murdering dictator in Syria must be removed, as is the desire of at least 75% of Syrians. After Assad is removed on the Libyan model, then some time later Iran will be taken down to size. But not before the STL shows real proof of their involvement in the murders of Hariri, Gemayel, Tueni, Kassir, Hawi, Eid and others. Justice will be served on the dictator Khameni who collaborated with Assad on ordering the murder of these martyrs.
31 August 2011, 23:55
01
Sweetheart bigdig it too bigdumb to realize that by saying "You idiots above are getting dumber day by day" he is in fact referring to the biggest idiot with the most posts, himself . He goes on proving this fact by actually believing the Iranian threats.
01 September 2011, 03:51
11
Why is it when any politician speaks a non terrorist agenda then he is automatically a Jew and Zionist?
Bottom line for the smart forward thinkers such as BigDumb is that you cannot fight the entire world and eventually they will get you sooner or later.
As an fyi when the Jets arrive, they are able to flatten an entire Country from the sky(i.e. July 2006) so you are wrong in your military assessment even if you have 160,000 missiles, eventually you will stop firing missiles when you have nothing on the ground, another big daily or monthly example (i.e. Gaza ).
On the NATO/Oil confusion, they usually let the FAKHAR YKASIR BA3DO until the meal is at its extreme at which point they will get involved (i.e. Moughnieh assassination in the heart of Syria in a very secretive place) and no the Mossad did not get him, your brotherly regime did take care of him same as the rest of the Lebanese Politicians (Harriri, Gemayel, Hawi and etc...). The idea was not to let any strong Leb figure rise.
01 September 2011, 05:42
12
Bigidiot..... you have shown yourself to be an Iranian propagandist with that last post.
"Iran is getting stronger economically and militarily by the day"
What are you, in 4th grade? You are quite ignorant. The US and Europe spend more money on toilet paper than Iran spends on their military. The west has no intention to occupy Iran like they did in Iraq. It will be just precision bombs and air strikes, destroying nuclear and military targets. And there is nothing you and the dictator Khameni can do about it.
But they won't do that for a while. Be patient. First Qaddafi will be turned over to the Hague. Then Assad will be deposed. There is no question about that, it's only a matter of time. Then the STL trial will PROVE Iranian involvement in the murders of Hariri Gemayel Tueni Kassir, Hawi, Eid and others. Then increasing sanctions on Iran, then blockade, then bombs away.
I'm bored with you. Find some else to play with, maybe my impostor smal.axe
01 September 2011, 06:16
02
dig... I lived in Iran for 3 yrs, my wife is persian, and know the country, people, and kabob very well. I was their during both the Khatami days and under Ahmadinejad. Trust me when I tell you the Iranian people DO NOT support their regime. Just like the Syrian people DO NOT support their regime. The people are oppressed by a minority. Never in human history has this been known to last very long. It's high time syria went down... Bashar's end is going to be much like Ceaușescu's. Iran will not to war, but after Syria falls you will see a repeat of 1979. Mullah&Co. will be taking the side lines a civilian government. Palestine will become a state. Hizballah will distmantle itself. Peace and balance will be upon us - at least for a little while.
01 September 2011, 09:16
12
digdig!! when is your birthday? I need to gift you a shovel so you can Dig a Big hole and burry yourself. Your comments are weak. You totaly think you are right, which annoys many educated peeps here. Iran, Syria bla bla bla...enough....
01 September 2011, 18:50
10
Although i do not like most of bigdig'S comments, i must agree that the West will do nothing against Syria, as they do not care for the people there, there is nothing in Syria exept cotton, and Assad is their long time guarantee, he leave Israel alone and she leaves him alone, that has always been the case since Hafez Assad has been in power.
On the other hand, for Iran, i think bigdig has some good points as well as other people , the West with its economic crisis right now cannot afford rising oil prices and a war that might damage its economy, because it is already at stake, and i think the other people like small Axe are right about one thing, yes the West has the MILITARY capabilities to erase Iran, Israel alone, has more than 300 nukes since 1988, other than her fleet of more than 500 F16 , and i can say all that is info i read long time ago. the only problem is that casualties will be very high, and Israel and Iran will both disappear, and thank god for that.
02 September 2011, 17:43
00
Stiking a very hard blow at the Iranian criminal dictatorship regime is not at all far fetched as some have noted here, the Iranian regime has from decades tried to sabbotage the oil producing countries using its local and regional zombie terrorists (the likes of Hezb Ebola and the Baddredine pawn) in the Gulf and the wider Middle East and North Africa in order to disrupt supply and drive oil prices sky high hoping to deal a blow to the Western Economies, and deter any such attempt by the West to free the peoples of the ME from these Satanic Cult Fanatics ruthless dictatorships, the Khamenei regime of course hoped to drive a wedge between moderate Arab countries and teh West. That of course all failed miserable only exposing the Iranian regime's evil intentions for the region and its people and their economies hence their livelyhood, since some wise people have stepped in and started diversification of power ssources and increased production in some case to compensate...
02 September 2011, 17:59
00
..conitnued The disruption in oil supply that the Iranian regime had hoped its terrorist attacks on other oil producing countries in the Gulf and North Africa would cause failed miserably. One has to wonder why the Russian and Chinese were ferrociously defending the Iranian and Syrian regimes (who were both in on it) and still do to this day threatening VETO, were they tryng to hide their envolvement in such an Iranian terrorist plot? Are present day Russia and China still harbouring mischief towards the West and the entire free democratic world but would rather use proxies the likes of the Iranian and Syrian regimes to deliver these blows? (Old habits die hard). I think with the recent ferocious defence by Russia of the criminal in your face Syrian dictatorship as it slaughters its own people, and China's unrelenting willingness to cripple on unanimous Chapter 7 decision by the UN on Iran and Syria. All these concerns remain very plausible.....
02 September 2011, 18:05
00
One thing is for sure though, the iminent and sure fall of the Criminal Syrian and Iranian regimes (freedom is Human second nature) will definitely shed light on all of these legit questions. It seems the "new" China and Russia are not so new after all, and would still prefer to risk everything (their recent stellar economic growth (mostly brought about by the West's opening up to doing business with them) and well being of their respective countries and peoples) just to settle (what they still see as) old scores and flogg back to life a long dead and burried and outdated ideology. Thee leaders in charge of these two countries are definitely gambling away everything backing the wrong horse(s) in Iran and Syria....
