Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Tuesday that his
country would not accept a UN Security Council resolution asking
Iran to suspend uranium enrichment work before Aug. 31, the state
television reported.
"They cannot use a resolution to oppose us, and they should
understand that Iranian people do not give in to language of
force," Ahmadinejad was quoted as telling a huge crowd in Iran's
northwest province of Ardebil.
The president noted that he had received a phone call from UN
Secretary General Kofi Annan who urged Iran to respond to the
six-nation package.
"I told him Iran would be willing to solve the current problem
through dialogue, but we have already lost our confidence in them
because of the resolution," said Ahmadinejad.
He also reiterated that Iran would respond on Aug. 22 to the
international package of incentives to suspend uranium enrichment
that was offered by the five permanent members of the Security
Council plus Germany.
Meanwhile, Ahmadinejad mentioned ceasefire between Israel and
Lebanese Hezbollah guerillas, saying "Hezbollah has hoisted the
banner of victory over Israel and destroyed US-led plans for the
Middle East."
Our God's promises have come true," said Ahmadinejad. "On one
side, it's corrupt powers of the criminal US and Britain and the
Zionists .... with their modern weapons, and on the other side is a
group of devotional youth believing in God," he added.
Hezbollah has destroyed plans for someone seeking "to create the
so-called new Mideast ... a Mideast that would be under the
domination the US, Britain and Zionists," stressed the president,
saying the west has failed to destroy the unity and resistance of
Lebanese people.
One day ago, Ahmadinejad said that Iran's enemies had failed in
their plot against the country's nuclear issue.
The UN Security Council on July 31 adopted a resolution by a
vote of 14 to 1, urging Tehran to "suspend all enrichment-related
and reprocessing activities, including research and development" by
Aug. 31 or face the prospect of sanctions.
Due to insistence of council members such as Russia and China,
the resolution dropped the threat of immediate sanctions and
required the council to hold further discussions before sanctions
are considered.
Iranian officials have recently expressed indignation over the
UN demand to halt enrichment activities, warning the United Nations
against taking acrimonious measures to force Iran to comply or Iran
would quit the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and stop cooperation
with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The United States has accused Iran of secretly developing
nuclear weapons under a civilian front, a charge categorically
denied by Tehran which says that its nuclear program is for
peaceful purposes.
(Xinhua News Agency August 16, 2006 )
