IRAN: Seeking spiritual advice on nuclear technology
As world powers studied Iran's response to a package of proposals meant to convince it to stop enriching uranium, a curious series of meetings took place today in Iran.
Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili (pictured at left), took a trip from Tehran today to the holy city of Qom, home to some of the most powerful clerics in the Shiite Muslim faith, which is prevalent in Iran and Iraq.
That's according to the usually rather reliable Persian-language news website Tabnak, but other sources also confirmed the information.
In Qom, he visited three key Iranian clerics for closed-door meetings. They were Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi, Ayatollah Lotfullah Safi Golpayegani and Ayatollah Jaffar Sobhani.
All are staunchly pro-Islamic Republic but have been critical of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's handling of the economy. All are "marja," sources of emulation at the top of the Shiite clergy. No reporters were allowed in for photo-ops, which is unusual, and the state-controlled news outlets were mum about the sessions.
Iranian politicians often seek political and religious cover before making bold moves, in case something backfires.
Analysts say that when Iranian political leaders such as Ahmadinejad, experienced council chairman Ali Akbar Rafasanjani or parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani visit Qom to consult with the marja, it is sometimes to appease them or gain their blessing ahead of a major change in policy. Examples include Iran's 2003 decision to temporarily halt uranium enrichment or its 2006 decision to meet directly with Americans over Iraq.
Jalili is close to Ahmadinejad, whose circle has been the most strident voice arguing against halting enrichment, which the U.S. demands as a precondition for negotiations. Today, Gholam Hossein Elham, the spokesman of Ahmadinejad's government, told reporters "that nothing has changed" with regard to Iran's stance on nuclear technology, which presumably includes the hot-button issue of enrichment.
But his words shouldn't be taken too seriously. He made similar remarks when the package was first presented last month, and was largely ignored.
Analysts offered a number of possibilities for Jalili's secretive visit:
- To the chagrin of Ahmadinejad, powerful moderates in the government want to bend on the issue of enrichment, either by accepting the so-called "freeze-for-freeze" proposal to stop adding new uranium-enriching centrifuges, or by suspending enrichment altogether. Jalili and his camp, led by Ahmadinejad, want political backing for going up against them.
- Ahmadinejad wants to do a U-turn and accept some kind of compromise with the West, but needs some political cover.
- Jalili is a relative political newcomer. Unlike his well-connected predecessor, Larijani, he doesn't have the political standing to make any bold moves, and wants to improve his ties to the clergy in order to do so.
— Ramin Mostaghim in Tehran and Borzou Daragahi in Beirut
Photo credit: Islamic Republic News Agency
When major Iranian politicians visit top religious cleric, it is only to seek their persmission to build nuclear weapons. It is only the Ayatollahs that seems so far to have prevented Iranian military to aquiring nuclear bombs. It is certainly not United States that has the ability to stop Iranian army from its pursuit or nuclear wepaons. Iranians listen to their Ayatollahs. It is best to talk to clerics over the issue. If they give their fatwa permitting nuclear wepaons, no one would be able to stop Iran. So far they have not done this.
Posted by: Peter | July 07, 2008 at 09:44 AM
As long as Iran acts within the international agreements and obligations such as membership in UN's nuclear watchdog, it is counter-Productive to halt its nuclear activities. If the world power do not respect the international agreements they lose the moral authority to raise concerns about Iran.
The main point is if Iran behaves according to IAEA's mandate or not. The rest is just political and unjustified pressures on Iran.
Ahmadinejad's comments about Isreal has been grossly exagerated. He said there should be a free election in Palestine-Isreal that everyone including the all Palestinians be included and Isreal as we know it should be eliminated from map. He even gave the example of teh collapse of Soviet Union. He never said Iran will militarly attack Isreal. Plus teh Iranians constitution and the people of Iran do not allow any such adventure. Needlessly to say Ahmadinejad comments are not called for in existing world political environment where Isreal's lobbies in US and Europe shape the public opinion.
Posted by: Adam Howery | July 06, 2008 at 04:55 PM
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Exxon Mobil defeats Rockefellers over Global Warming. If Rockefellers sincere over Global Warming
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See the truth about Rockefellers and King coal
Abolition of King Coal and Coal-Fired Plants Everywhere - No Nukes! No Uranium Mining!
Stop the Global Warming Machines!
Stop the Coming Genocides - Food/Water/Energy Chaos!
Divest from King coal
Weekly Vigil - presently July 6, 2008
Sundays Noon-1pm
Ottawa, Ontario - Canada
U.S. Embassy
490 Sussex Dr.
Paradigm Shift Environmental Alliance
psea4earth@gmail.com
Please see the following links or google “abolition king coal"
http://quebec.indymedia.org/en/node/28427
http://floodiceorfire.wordpress.com [URL]http://www.ipetitions.com /petition/AbolitionKing/
Posted by: Ivona Vujica | July 06, 2008 at 09:37 AM
On July 4 2008 New Brunswick Canada Banned Uranium Mining-Ontario and other world jusisdictions take note
BUSH=MCCAIN in '08 BURNING DINOSAUR ECONOMICS
Senator John Mccain Arizona-has been a cheerleader and bagman for dirty
coal for decades & King coal's kissin' cousin Dark Lord Nuclear.In
his state Gov bill Richardson had been critical of Sithe Global's giant
dirty coal-fired plant-Desert Rock(Sithe global being owned by world's largest
private equity corp Blackstone.
(In addition to the impact of coal
on the natural environment of Black Mesa, twelve thousand Navajos have
been removed from their lands due to the mining, the largest removal of
Native Americans since the 1880s.[13] John McCain authored the
relocation bill, called the 1974 Navajo-Hopi Settlement Act.[14]
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php ...
http://floodiceorfire.wordpress.com/
Exxon Mobil defeats Rockefellers over Global Warming. If Rockefellers sincere over Global Warming
they should DIVEST from Exxon Mobil-set a real example, alas...
See the truth about Rockefellers and King coal
Abolition of King Coal and Coal-Fired Plants Everywhere - No Nukes! No Uranium Mining!
Stop the Global Warming Machines!
Stop the Coming Genocides - Food/Water/Energy Chaos!
Divest from King coal
Weekly Vigil - presently July 6, 2008
Sundays Noon-1pm
Ottawa, Ontario - Canada
U.S. Embassy
490 Sussex Dr.
Paradigm Shift Environmental Alliance
psea4earth@gmail.com
Please see the following links or google “abolition king coal"
http://quebec.indymedia.org/en/node/28427
http://floodiceorfire.wordpress.com [URL]http://www.ipetitions.com /petition/AbolitionKing/
Posted by: Ivona Vujica | July 06, 2008 at 09:36 AM
On July 4 2008 New Brunswick Canada Banned Uranium Mining-Ontario and other world jusisdictions take note
BUSH=MCCAIN in '08 BURNING DINOSAUR ECONOMICS
Senator John Mccain Arizona-has been a cheerleader and bagman for dirty
coal for decades & King coal's kissin' cousin Dark Lord Nuclear.In
his state Gov bill Richardson had been critical of Sithe Global's giant
dirty coal-fired plant-Desert Rock(Sithe global being owned by world's largest
private equity corp Blackstone.
(In addition to the impact of coal
on the natural environment of Black Mesa, twelve thousand Navajos have
been removed from their lands due to the mining, the largest removal of
Native Americans since the 1880s.[13] John McCain authored the
relocation bill, called the 1974 Navajo-Hopi Settlement Act.[14]
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php ...
http://floodiceorfire.wordpress.com/
Exxon Mobil defeats Rockefellers over Global Warming. If Rockefellers sincere over Global Warming
they should DIVEST from Exxon Mobil-set a real example, alas...
See the truth about Rockefellers and King coal
Abolition of King Coal and Coal-Fired Plants Everywhere - No Nukes! No Uranium Mining!
Stop the Global Warming Machines!
Stop the Coming Genocides - Food/Water/Energy Chaos!
Divest from King coal
Weekly Vigil - presently July 6, 2008
Sundays Noon-1pm
Ottawa, Ontario - Canada
U.S. Embassy
490 Sussex Dr.
Paradigm Shift Environmental Alliance
psea4earth@gmail.com
Please see the following links or google “abolition king coal"
http://quebec.indymedia.org/en/node/28427
http://floodiceorfire.wordpress.com [URL]http://www.ipetitions.com /petition/AbolitionKing/
Posted by: Ivona Vujica | July 06, 2008 at 09:34 AM
There is also the possibility that Iran is sincere in its efforts to have nuclear power and not weapons so that it can sell all of its oil. But with Iran stating what it would do to Israel if it had such weapons the issue of lower prices from more oil is a mute point.
Posted by: Jerry Bower | July 05, 2008 at 01:47 PM