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<p class=MsoNormal><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><font
size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Iran</span></font></st1:place></st1:country-region><font
face=Arial><span style='font-family:Arial'> refuses to abandon nuclear program <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on"><font
size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>U.S.</span></font></st1:country-region></st1:place><font
face=Arial><span style='font-family:Arial'> may seek U.N. sanctions and use of
force suggested<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Ali Akbar Dareini<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Associated Press<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>September 13, 2004<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:City w:st="on"><font size=3 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>TEHRAN</span></font></st1:City><font
face=Arial><span style='font-family:Arial'>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Iran</st1:country-region>
— <st1:country-region w:st="on">Iran</st1:country-region> said Sunday it
would not abandon uranium enrichment, rejecting a key demand by three European
powers that have threatened to intensify pressure if <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Tehran</st1:place></st1:City> does not curb its nuclear program.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Iran</st1:place></st1:country-region> already
had the technology required for its nuclear fuel cycle, and would not reverse
the situation. But he repeated that <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Iran</st1:place></st1:country-region> was willing to provide
guarantees that it was not seeking to build nuclear weapons.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>A top <st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region>
official said Sunday that the <st1:country-region w:st="on">United States</st1:country-region>
will pursue U.N. sanctions against <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Iran</st1:place></st1:country-region> unless it renounces the quest
for nuclear weapons. Undersecretary of State John R. Bolton, during a visit to <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>, said
President Bush is "determined to try to find a peaceful and diplomatic
solution" to the issue, but hinted that all options, including the use of
force, remain open.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>"We're determined that they're not going to achieve a
nuclear-weapons capability," he said.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Asefi's comments came a day before a meeting of the
International Atomic Energy Agency's board to consider <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Tehran</st1:place></st1:City>'s nuclear program.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Board members France, Germany and Britain have come closer
to the U.S. stance that the IAEA should refer Iran's nuclear file to the U.N.
Security Council — a step that could lead to imposition of sanctions.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>The three European nations have prepared a draft resolution
for the IAEA board that would set a November deadline for <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Iran</st1:place></st1:country-region> to meet
demands aimed at clearing up concerns over its nuclear program.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Among the demands is that <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Iran</st1:place></st1:country-region> commit not to pursue uranium
enrichment and halt related activities.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>The draft, obtained by the Associated Press, would set a
"trigger mechanism," warning of possible "further steps" if
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Iran</st1:place></st1:country-region>
does not comply. Diplomats say the warning is shorthand for referral of <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Iran</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s case to
the Security Council.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><font
size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Iran</span></font></st1:place></st1:country-region><font
face=Arial><span style='font-family:Arial'> insists its nuclear program is
peaceful, aiming only to produce energy. Uranium enrichment can produce fuel
for a reactor — or, at a higher level of enrichment, material for nuclear
weapons.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>In recent months, <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Tehran</st1:place></st1:City>
has backed off an earlier suspension of enrichment activities and resumed some
preparations for enrichment, though it has not resumed enrichment itself.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>"If the demand is that we don't master nuclear
technology for peaceful purposes, it's out of the question because we have
reached that point," Asefi told a press conference.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>"But if Europeans want assurances that we only make
peaceful use of nuclear energy, we are ready to give guarantees," he said.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Asefi said the guarantees <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Iran</st1:place></st1:country-region> was prepared to offer will be
within the framework of the additional protocol to the Nuclear
Non-proliferation Treaty.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>"We are ready to give any sort of guarantees within the
framework of the additional protocol," he said.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Before a meeting with <st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region>'s
foreign minister, Bolton said that economic sanctions against <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Iran</st1:place></st1:country-region> are
"not inevitable." He said that if <st1:country-region w:st="on">Iran</st1:country-region>
follows the lead of <st1:country-region w:st="on">Libya</st1:country-region>,
which agreed last year to dismantle nuclear weapons programs, it could prevent
sanctions, but noted that <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Iran</st1:place></st1:country-region>
has refused to take the necessary steps in the last five meetings held by the
U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>He said the <st1:country-region w:st="on">United States</st1:country-region>
and Europe are close to agreement on what steps to take against <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Iran</st1:place></st1:country-region> and that
he expected the two sides to reach a deal at the upcoming IAEA meeting.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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