Iran rejects Russian uranium enrichment offer

The European Union had been pushing for Iran to accept Russia's offer, as it would be a way to ensure that only low-grade uranium, suitable for power stations, would be processed. But Iran's top nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, told Iranian TV that Iran will continue to insist on its right to enrich the material in Iran itself. He did add, however, that Iran would be willing to consider conducting certain phases of the process outside Iran.

Mr. Larijani will meet with European negotiators this month in an effort to work out some kind of understanding before the next meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency in February. If an agreement about Iran's nuclear program is not reached, experts say, it is very likely that the country will be referred to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions.

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Meanwhile, the German magazine Der Spiegel reported in its English language version over the weekend that recent stories in the German media indicate that the US may be preparing to launch an attack against Iranian nuclear facilities. The magazine cites in particular a Dec. 23 piece from the news agency DDP by Udo Ulfkotte, a journalist with strong contacts in German's intelligence services:

According to Ulfkotte's report, "western security sources" claim that during CIA Director Porter Goss' Dec. 12 visit to Ankara, he asked Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to provide support for a possible 2006 air strike against Iranian nuclear and military facilities. More specifically, Goss is said to have asked Turkey to provide unfettered exchange of intelligence that could help with a mission.

DDP also reported that the governments of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Oman and Pakistan have been informed in recent weeks of Washington's military plans. The countries, apparently, were told that air strikes were a "possible option," but they were given no specific timeframe for the operations.

Last week, the Berlin daily newspaper Der Tagesspiegel reported that NATO intelligence sources said the US has told its Western allies that it is investigating all possible sources of "bringing the mullah-led regime into line," including a military strike against nuclear facilities.

Ha'aretz reports, however, that some experts believe these stories may be leaks that are part of the US " psychological warfare against Iran" in an attempt to get it to agree to conditions and restrictions being placed on its nuclear program.

The Associated Press reports that Iran said Sunday it would deliver a " crushing response" to any US or Israeli attack.

James Joyner, editor of the Outside the Beltway blog and a management analyst for a Washington-area defense contractor, examines the scenarios for a US and/or Israeli preemptive strike against Iran, and finds that, at this point in time, there is " not a good set of options."

The global intelligence site Stratfor reported last week that the Israeli military chief of staff, Gen. Dan Halutz, ruled out the possibility of a preemptive strike against Iran at this time because Iran currently poses no threat to Israel and is several years away from producing a nuclear weapon.

The main reason cited for the acceleration of planning for an attack against Iran is recent statements by Iran's hard-line president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He has recently called for Israel to be "wiped off the map," denounced the Holocaust as a lie, and that if it did happen, it was Europe's fault and that Israel should be moved to Europe, the US, or Canada. Reuters reports on Monday that he said Israel was created as part of a plan to move all the Jews out of Europe.

The Los Angeles Times reports on Monday that Mr. Ahmadinejad's hard-line politics may please conservatives in the country, but they are starting to worry many others in Iran.

"He is not qualified to be the president of Iran. His words so far leave no doubt to his inadequacy to the job," fretted a 38-year-old graphic designer who identified herself only as Shahnaz B., expressing a sentiment common among Iranians these days. "The US and Israel will only take advantage of his stances to further their own agendas on Iran."

News agencies reported in mid-December that there had been an assassination attempt on Ahmadinejad in the southeast section of the country, a region with a large Sunni Arab population. But Iran said that there had only been an attack by "bandits" on the motorcade of the president's security team that had killed a local driver and a member of the Revolutionary Guard.

Also...
• German chancellor rejects World Cup soccer ban on Iran ( CNN International)
• Alleged Al Qaeda aide said to fake death ( Associated Press)
• UN asks to meet Syrian president ( BBC)
• Feedback appreciated. E-mail Tom Regan .