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Iran 'a year or more' from nuke
capability: Obama
AP | Oct 5, 2013, 08.07PM IST
Obama, in an interview with The
Associated Press, expressed
optimism about the blossoming
diplomacy between his
administration and Iran's new
president, but said the US would
not accept a "bad deal" on the
Islamic republic's nuclear
programme.
WASHINGTON: President Barack
Obama disclosed that US
intelligence agencies believe Iran
continues to be a year or more away
from building a nuclear weapon, an
assessment that is at odds with
Israel, which contends Tehran is on
a faster course toward a bomb.
Obama, in an interview with The
Associated Press, expressed
optimism about the blossoming
diplomacy between his
administration and Iran's new
president, but said the US would
not accept a "bad deal" on the
Islamic republic's nuclear
programme.
The president spoke to the AP on
Friday.
Obama has launched a diplomatic
outreach to Iran, aimed at resolving
the dispute over Tehran's nuclear
program. Last week, he spoke by
phone with President Hassan
Rouhani, marking the first direct
exchange between US and Iranian
leaders in more than 30 years.
"Rouhani has staked his position on
the idea that he can improve
relations with the rest of the world,"
Obama said. "And so far he's been
saying a lot of the right things. And
the question now is, can he follow
through?"
But Obama said Rouhani is not
Iran's only "decision-maker. He's not
even the ultimate decision-maker," a
reference to the control wielded by
Iran's supreme leader, Ayotollah Ali
Khamenei.
Khamenei said Saturday that some
aspects of Rouhani's trip to New York
last month were "not appropriate,"
but reiterated his crucial support for
the president's policy of outreach to
the West.
The comments by Khamenei,
summarized on his website, came
after hard-liners criticized the 15-
minute phone conversation between
Rouhani and Obama.
Hard-liners, including commanders
in the powerful Revolutionary Guard,
have said the president went too far
with the phone call in reaching out
to the US
But Rouhani's outreach has received
broad support from Iranian
legislators and it appears popular at
a time when Iran is facing crippling
economic sanctions due to the
nuclear impasse.
Khamenei also said the US was
"untrustworthy." He has previously
said he's not opposed to direct talks
with the US to resolve Iran's nuclear
standoff with the West but is not
optimistic.
"We are skeptical of Americans and
have no trust in them at all. The
American government is
untrustworthy, arrogant, illogical and
a promise-breaker. It's a government
captured by the international
Zionism network," said Khamenei,
who has final say on all matters of
state.
Given Khamenei's broad influence,
some countries, most notably Israel,
have questioned whether Rouhani
actually represents real change in
Iran or just new packaging of old
policies.
Obama also put distance between
US and Israeli assessments of when
Iran might have the capacity to
build a nuclear weapon. Israeli
officials have said Iran is just
months away from being able to
build a bomb, while Obama said
Tehran was a year or more away.
But Obama said, "Our assessment
continues to be a year or more away.
And in fact, actually, our estimate is
probably more conservative than the
estimates of Israeli intelligence
services."
The president used the same
timetable in March, before traveling
to Israel. The US and Israel contend
that Iran's nuclear program is aimed
at building a bomb, while Tehran
says it is enriching uranium for
peaceful purposes.
On the 12-year war in Afghanistan,
Obama said he would consider
keeping some American forces on the
ground after the conflict formally
ends next year, but acknowledged
that doing so would require an
agreement from the Afghan
government. He suggested that if no
agreement can be reached, he would
be comfortable with a full pullout of
US troops.
"If in fact we can get an agreement
that makes sure that US troops are
protected, makes sure that we can
operate in a way that is good for our
national security, then I'll certainly
consider that," he said. "If we can't,
we will continue to make sure that
all the gains we've made in going
after al-Qaida we accomplish, even if
we don't have any US military on
Afghan soil."
All US forces left Iraq at the end of
2011 after no deal could be reached
to keep some there longer.
source. timesofindia.com
capability: Obama
AP | Oct 5, 2013, 08.07PM IST
Obama, in an interview with The
Associated Press, expressed
optimism about the blossoming
diplomacy between his
administration and Iran's new
president, but said the US would
not accept a "bad deal" on the
Islamic republic's nuclear
programme.
WASHINGTON: President Barack
Obama disclosed that US
intelligence agencies believe Iran
continues to be a year or more away
from building a nuclear weapon, an
assessment that is at odds with
Israel, which contends Tehran is on
a faster course toward a bomb.
Obama, in an interview with The
Associated Press, expressed
optimism about the blossoming
diplomacy between his
administration and Iran's new
president, but said the US would
not accept a "bad deal" on the
Islamic republic's nuclear
programme.
The president spoke to the AP on
Friday.
Obama has launched a diplomatic
outreach to Iran, aimed at resolving
the dispute over Tehran's nuclear
program. Last week, he spoke by
phone with President Hassan
Rouhani, marking the first direct
exchange between US and Iranian
leaders in more than 30 years.
"Rouhani has staked his position on
the idea that he can improve
relations with the rest of the world,"
Obama said. "And so far he's been
saying a lot of the right things. And
the question now is, can he follow
through?"
But Obama said Rouhani is not
Iran's only "decision-maker. He's not
even the ultimate decision-maker," a
reference to the control wielded by
Iran's supreme leader, Ayotollah Ali
Khamenei.
Khamenei said Saturday that some
aspects of Rouhani's trip to New York
last month were "not appropriate,"
but reiterated his crucial support for
the president's policy of outreach to
the West.
The comments by Khamenei,
summarized on his website, came
after hard-liners criticized the 15-
minute phone conversation between
Rouhani and Obama.
Hard-liners, including commanders
in the powerful Revolutionary Guard,
have said the president went too far
with the phone call in reaching out
to the US
But Rouhani's outreach has received
broad support from Iranian
legislators and it appears popular at
a time when Iran is facing crippling
economic sanctions due to the
nuclear impasse.
Khamenei also said the US was
"untrustworthy." He has previously
said he's not opposed to direct talks
with the US to resolve Iran's nuclear
standoff with the West but is not
optimistic.
"We are skeptical of Americans and
have no trust in them at all. The
American government is
untrustworthy, arrogant, illogical and
a promise-breaker. It's a government
captured by the international
Zionism network," said Khamenei,
who has final say on all matters of
state.
Given Khamenei's broad influence,
some countries, most notably Israel,
have questioned whether Rouhani
actually represents real change in
Iran or just new packaging of old
policies.
Obama also put distance between
US and Israeli assessments of when
Iran might have the capacity to
build a nuclear weapon. Israeli
officials have said Iran is just
months away from being able to
build a bomb, while Obama said
Tehran was a year or more away.
But Obama said, "Our assessment
continues to be a year or more away.
And in fact, actually, our estimate is
probably more conservative than the
estimates of Israeli intelligence
services."
The president used the same
timetable in March, before traveling
to Israel. The US and Israel contend
that Iran's nuclear program is aimed
at building a bomb, while Tehran
says it is enriching uranium for
peaceful purposes.
On the 12-year war in Afghanistan,
Obama said he would consider
keeping some American forces on the
ground after the conflict formally
ends next year, but acknowledged
that doing so would require an
agreement from the Afghan
government. He suggested that if no
agreement can be reached, he would
be comfortable with a full pullout of
US troops.
"If in fact we can get an agreement
that makes sure that US troops are
protected, makes sure that we can
operate in a way that is good for our
national security, then I'll certainly
consider that," he said. "If we can't,
we will continue to make sure that
all the gains we've made in going
after al-Qaida we accomplish, even if
we don't have any US military on
Afghan soil."
All US forces left Iraq at the end of
2011 after no deal could be reached
to keep some there longer.
source. timesofindia.com
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