TEHRAN (
Reuters) -
Iran announced on Tuesday it would resume atomic fuel research and development next week, raising the specter of a fresh showdown with the West which suspects Tehran wants nuclear technology to build bombs. The news coincided with strong hints from Iran's Foreign Ministry that Tehran would reject a Russian compromise proposal aimed at defusing Iran's nuclear row with the West. Tehran began to roll back its suspension of nuclear work in August [two months after hardliner Iran.Mahmoud Ahmadi Nejad was elected President] by restarting its uranium conversion plant at Isfahan, prompting the "EU3" to freeze its talks with Iran.
Let me try my hand at a timeline:
- Ahmadi is elected in Iran as President after a run-off election in June of 2005, roughly six months after a provisional government was voted into Iraq.
- In August, Iran backs out of previous nuclear talks and begins to re-energize their nuclear program under the new Iranian President, a noted “hardliner”. This coincides with the same time that the Iraqi constitution was to be drafted.
- October, Ahmadi publicly stated that the Holocaust is a myth, and Israel should be wiped off the map. At the same time, national vote is held in Iraq ratifying constitution.
- December, permanent Iraqi government is voted into place, but faces fraud claims by both Sunni and Shia. Now Iran decides to bounce back into nuke production.
Iran and Iraq seem to have a lot of parallels. As Iraqi democracy stands up and free votes take place, Iran works harder and harder towards their nuclear program.
