Tuesday, 16 October 2007

Putin goes to Iran


Putin is the first leader of Russia since Joseph Stalin to visit Iran for a historic visit to hold talks on Iran's nuclear program and attend a Caspian sea summit.

The visit took place despite indications of a possible assassination attempt and amid hopes that a round of personal diplomacy could help offer a settlement to an international dispute on Iran's nuclear program.

Putin's visit was about to be cancelled when the Kremlin said Sunday that he had been notified by Russian special services that assasination plot by suicide attackers might try to kill him in Tehran, but he denied the warning Monday during his stay in Germany.


I admire his statement "If I always listened to all the various threats and the recommendations of the special services I would never leave home." This particular remark has played beautifully into the carefully crafted image of a fearless leader that Putin has cultivated, and also seems to be aimed at emphasizing that he is in control — not under any influences from security agencies


Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini accused reports about the assassination plot as disinformation spread by 'external agents' hoping to stain the good relations between Russia and Iran. Putin has forewarned the U.S. and other nations against trying to push Iran into dismantling its nuclear program and peaceful dialogue is the only way to deal with Tehran's resistance of U.N. Security Council demand for the suspension of uranium enrichment program.


He emphasized that threatening the Iranians would lead to nowhere. Iran's rejection of the council's demand and its previous clandestine atomic work has fed suspicions in the U.S. and other countries that Tehran is working to enrich uranium to a purity usable in nuclear weapons. Iran keep on saying that it is only wants produce lesser-enriched uranium rods to fuel nuclear reactors that would generate electricity.


Putin's visit to Tehran, the first such trip by a Kremlin leader since Josef Stalin attended a 1943 wartime summit with Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt, is being closely watched for any possible shifts in Russia's carefully hedged stance in the nuclear standoff. The Russian president underlined his disagreements with Washington last week, saying he saw no "objective data" to prove Western claims that Iran is trying to construct nuclear weapons. Russia, which is building Iran's first nuclear power plant, has resisted the push by the U.S. and its allies for stronger U.N. sanctions against Tehran and strongly warned Washington against using force. Putin emphasized Monday that he would negotiate in Tehran on behalf of the five permanent U.N. Security Council members — United States, Russia, China, Britain and France — and Germany, a group that has led efforts to resolve the stalemate with Tehran. He said the group "can and must be patient" in dealing with the Iranian leadership.


He also was to participate in a meeting Tuesday of the leaders of nations bordering the Caspian Sea, which are arguing over division of its oil. While the Kremlin has shielded Tehran from a U.S. push for a third round of U.N. sanctions, Iran has voiced annoyance about Moscow's foot-dragging in building a nuclear power plant in the southern port of Bushehr under a $1 billion contract. Russia warned early this year that the plant wouldn't be launched this fall as planned because Iran was slow in making payments. Iranian officials have angrily denied any payment arrears and accused the Kremlin of caving in to Western pressure. Moscow also has ignored Iranian demands to ship fuel for the plant, saying it would be delivered only six months before the Bushehr plant goes on line. The launch date has been delayed indefinitely amid the payment dispute. Any sign by Putin that Russia could quickly complete the power plant would embolden Iran and further cloud Russia's relations with the West. But Putin's trip would be important for Iran even if it yielded no agreements.

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As for my conclusion, previous Russia-China military exercise and the current Putin's visit to Iran, has indicated a new alliance to stand up against US global domination. Russia's technological advancement, China's thriving economy and Iran's defiance if combined could become a major obstacle for US policy.

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