Rice attacks EU countries over Iran nuclear drive

"BRUSSELS (AFP) Feb 09, 2005
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Wednesday took a swipe at European countries negotiating to halt Iran's nuclear drive, saying they had failed to make sufficiently clear the threat of UN sanctions.
Rice made her remarks concerning the negotiations led by Britain, France and Germany in an interview with Fox News to be broadcast a day after she made a major appeal for transatlantic unity following the divisions over the Iraq war.

"The Iranians need to hear that if they are unwilling to live with verification measures... then the Security Council referral looms," she said.

"I don't know that anyone has said that as clearly as they should to the Iranians."

The negotiations over Iran's suspected nuclear ambitions have been a major issue throughout Rice's eight-nation tour of Europe, her first trip as chief US diplomat since taking over from Colin Powell last month.

The United States accuses Iran of trying to obtain nuclear weapons under cover of developing a civilian atomic energy programme, and has not excluded a military option against Tehran.

However, Washington has so far supported the three EU countries' diplomatic efforts, which have focussed on getting Iran to promise not to make the bomb in return for trade privileges with the 25-nation bloc.

"The international community has got to be certain to speak with one very tough voice to the Iranians that it is not going to be acceptable for Iran to build a nuclear weapon under cover of civilian nuclear power," Rice told Fox.

She said the United States had believed all along that Iran should be referred to the UN Security Council for violating international non-proliferation norms."

www.spacewar.com...

Go Condi Go. Beat those mullahs back................

She ought to shut the hell up and get back in the kitchen

Seriously though, being the "new kid" in the theatre that is International politics, she has a helluva lot to learn. She can scream and shout all she wants, I doubt very much whether Europeans are really going to listen much, if at all

she needs to show a little bit more respect instead of just hopping on a plane on a whirlwind trip around europe and the middle east telling people what to do and look like she's solving problems. I don't think the opinion of her in Europe and Australia amongst the general populace is high.

Anyways I hope that Europe gives her the finger and continues to do things their way instead of being dictated to by this woman.

I hope she was tough; seeing her kiss up to the Euros turned my stomach.

Originally posted by djohnsto77
I hope she was tough; seeing her kiss up to the Euros turned my stomach.

Make a change from Kissing GWB's butt all the time I guess

Talks tough but has zero credibility outside of the US. Us foreigners don't like being dictated to, makes us get all tetchy and unco-operative

Really Britguy?
Cause it seems to me Bush has been dictating to the UK for about four years now.
BTW why did you guys reassign the Blackwatch again? Because who told you so?

as piosted by Britguy
She ought to shut the hell up and get back in the kitchen

Ummm, let me guess here Britguy, your a male who believes that the only place for women is in the kitchen, washing your clothes, and to have kids for you, huh?! Typical cavalier chauvinistic comment, leaving much to be desired.

As for the EU, whether you or anyone else likes it, Ms. Rice is correct of her assessment, at least from a US perspective, anyhow. How long has the EU been pansy-footing around with Iran? Hell boys and girls, by the time the EU decides to flex anything remotely resembling a 'muscle', Iran will have acquired nukes....................and according to reports, thats what? A year ot two from now?

Yeah, keep talking and weaving and bending and begging and talking, etc. Diplomacy solves all the problems, doesn't it?




seekerof

[edit on 9-2-2005 by Seekerof]

Get a grip Seekerof, just a bit of humour, she's probably not the cooking type anyway. I'm not a chauvanist at all, quite the opposite in fact, a proper English Gent.

Ms Rice's assessment, like that of GWB, Cheney, Bumsfelt, Wolfowitz and all the other crazies is always more than a little off the mark.
Delusional is perhaps a better way to describe them but what the hell, there's money to be made and dumb schmucks to go fight and die so the sooner they can start a little war somewhere the better all round.

Diplomacy is never on the agenda when the US gets involved. It's always the arrogant "our way ot the highway" attitude. Life is cheap when it's not them that have to do the fighting.
Change in any country takes time to evolve, maybe us Europeans recognise that and have the patience to wait and resolve differences over time, rather than at the end of bombs and missiles and a few thousand dead bodies stinking the place up.

Originally posted by Britguy
Diplomacy is never on the agenda when the US gets involved. It's always the arrogant "our way ot the highway" attitude. Life is cheap when it's not them that have to do the fighting.
Change in any country takes time to evolve, maybe us Europeans recognise that and have the patience to wait and resolve differences over time, rather than at the end of bombs and missiles and a few thousand dead bodies stinking the place up.

Yes because it worked so well with hitler, mao, stalin, pol pot, idi amin etc.
Great job difusing Bosnia with diplomacy, And lets face it the diplomatic efforts in darfur saved a lot of lives didn't it?

as posted by Britguy
Get a grip Seekerof, just a bit of humour, she's probably not the cooking type anyway. I'm not a chauvanist at all, quite the opposite in fact, a proper English Gent

My humble suggestion would be that instead of telling someone to "get a grip" because they reacted against something you said, that you might want to make proper use of emoticons or the words: "j/k," "satire," "sarcasm," etc. so as to not have someone else take what you said/say verbatim or in offense in the future?




seekerof

[edit on 9-2-2005 by Seekerof]

Rice is being too agressive. Shes not going to get anywhere. Britguy... I'm a Brit too, well as close as I can get right now (born in us, both parents brit). You are correct, sir. The EU won't listen to her. Sure, shes a smart woman, otherwise she wouldn't have gotten as far as she has in life. However, shes not being smart with her international tact. As silly as that sounds to alot of americans, because we all know how you like doing things without the backing of your "friends." Its the way the world goes round, like it or not.

The EU is becoming the worlds second super power at the moment. They are going to be doing alot of things the US doesnt like. Its also known as power-politics. China will be doing similar stuff too when it gets its rampant inflation under control. Rice is fighting a loosing battle by doing what she is doing. However, either outcome will be in favor of bush's agenda. Which is a shame, because it's my opinion that bush's agenda will hurt more people than it helps.

As for the shot about bush being the puppeteer of blair, that may be slightly true, however your comment didnt contribute to the discussion. In other words, it was inappropriate. In response to it, I feel that Blair is being a bit of a weenie. The UK has a very important position in the world. Its the bridge that joins the EU and the US. Blair has successfully alienated the EU by siding with the US. He shoulda played his important position better.

To seekerof. Pansy footing around with Iran wont allow Iran to obtain nukes. They already have the capability. I wonder who it was who gave N.Korea lightwater reactors... which, through trade, has given Iran nuclear capability.

[edit on 9-2-2005 by Galvatron]

[edit on 9-2-2005 by Galvatron]

Originally posted by Galvatron
Rice is being too agressive. Shes not going to get anywhere. Britguy... I'm a Brit too, well as close as I can get right now (born in us, both parents brit). You are correct, sir. The EU won't listen to her. Sure, shes a smart woman, otherwise she wouldn't have gotten as far as she has in life. However, shes not being smart with her international tact. As silly as that sounds to alot of americans, because we all know how you like doing things without the backing of your "friends." Its the way the world goes round, like it or not.

The EU is becoming the worlds second super power at the moment. They are going to be doing alot of things the US doesnt like. Its also known as power-politics. China will be doing similar stuff too when it gets its rampant inflation under control. Rice is fighting a loosing battle by doing what she is doing. However, either outcome will be in favor of bush's agenda. Which is a shame, because it's my opinion that bush's agenda will hurt more people than it helps.

As for the shot about bush being the puppeteer of blair, that may be slightly true, however your comment didnt contribute to the discussion. In other words, it was inappropriate. In response to it, I feel that Blair is being a bit of a weenie. The UK has a very important position in the world. Its the bridge that joins the EU and the US. Blair has successfully alienated the EU by siding with the US. He shoulda played his important position better.

To seekerof. Pansy footing around with Iran wont allow Iran to obtain nukes. They already have the capability. I wonder who it was who gave N.Korea lightwater reactors... which, through trade, has given Iran nuclear capability.

[edit on 9-2-2005 by Galvatron]

[edit on 9-2-2005 by Galvatron]

not to mention the UK's very important position in the commonwealth

Well there's spin and there's spin.

Rather than all these melodramatic "swipes" and "attacks" the Europeans reported it all rather differently - with rather more actual quotes of what was said publicly at the actual meetings, in context, than short tack in quotes supposedly given to people like 'Fox' etc to back their editorial comment.

news.bbc.co.uk...

(unless she tells the meeting with the Europeans one thing and Fox another, geee do you think?)

[edit on 9-2-2005 by sminkeypinkey]