.Germany: Iranian Letter Attacks Israel
BERLIN (AP) - A letter from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to the German chancellor made statements about Israel and the Holocaust that are "not acceptable," the government said Friday.
The letter to Germany, which is among the countries leading diplomatic efforts to resolve concerns over Iran's nuclear program, does not mention that issue, government spokesman Ulrich Wilhelm said. Rather, the letter was devoted largely to criticism of Israel.
"It contains many statements that are not acceptable to us, in particular about Israel, the state of Israel's right to exist and the Holocaust," Wilhelm said.
The letter does not address the current fighting in Lebanon and Israel, he said.
Germany has sharply criticized anti-Israeli comments by Ahmadinejad, who has labeled the Holocaust a myth and called for Israel's destruction.
"Our position on these questions is known," Wilhelm said, adding that Chancellor Angela Merkel repeatedly has said that Israel's right to exist is a cornerstone of German policy and "it is in no way acceptable to us to question it."
Denying the Holocaust is a crime in Germany, where it carries a maximum sentence of five years.
The German government does not plan to reply to Ahmadinejad, Wilhelm said, adding that Berlin instead would continue supporting multilateral efforts to persuade Iran to suspend its nuclear program.
While Ahmadinejad's letter did not mention Iran's nuclear program, Wilhelm said it noted that there was "a great interest on the part of Iran to achieve cooperation."
Wilhelm did not elaborate on the letter's contents and said the government did not plan to release the text.
Germany and the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council offered a package of incentives to persuade Iran to suspend uranium enrichment - a process that can produce material for atomic weapons as well as fuel for reactors.
The incentives, offered to Tehran on June 6, include advanced technology and the easing of U.S. sanctions on the sale of aircraft and aircraft parts.
Last week, the world powers decided to refer Iran to the U.N. Security Council, saying it had taken too long to reply and had given no sign of wanting to negotiate in earnest over its nuclear ambitions.
On Thursday, Iran's Supreme National Security Council said the Islamic republic would reply Aug. 22 but suggested it was likely to reject the main point of the West's proposals: the imposition of a long-term moratorium on enrichment.
A spokesman for Russia's Foreign Ministry, Mikhail Kamynin, criticized Iran's statement on the incentives, saying it contained no new ideas or signs that Tehran was ready for constructive talks, news agencies reported Friday.
In May, Ahmadinejad sent an 18-page letter to President Bush that also did not address the nuclear issue and was dismissed promptly by Washington.
While that letter marked a diplomatic overture, it was laced with old grievances against the United States and spelled out a long list of Iranian demands.
MyWay
What a nutcase
The letter to Germany, which is among the countries leading diplomatic efforts to resolve concerns over Iran's nuclear program, does not mention that issue, government spokesman Ulrich Wilhelm said. Rather, the letter was devoted largely to criticism of Israel.
"It contains many statements that are not acceptable to us, in particular about Israel, the state of Israel's right to exist and the Holocaust," Wilhelm said.
The letter does not address the current fighting in Lebanon and Israel, he said.
Germany has sharply criticized anti-Israeli comments by Ahmadinejad, who has labeled the Holocaust a myth and called for Israel's destruction.
"Our position on these questions is known," Wilhelm said, adding that Chancellor Angela Merkel repeatedly has said that Israel's right to exist is a cornerstone of German policy and "it is in no way acceptable to us to question it."
Denying the Holocaust is a crime in Germany, where it carries a maximum sentence of five years.
The German government does not plan to reply to Ahmadinejad, Wilhelm said, adding that Berlin instead would continue supporting multilateral efforts to persuade Iran to suspend its nuclear program.
While Ahmadinejad's letter did not mention Iran's nuclear program, Wilhelm said it noted that there was "a great interest on the part of Iran to achieve cooperation."
Wilhelm did not elaborate on the letter's contents and said the government did not plan to release the text.
Germany and the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council offered a package of incentives to persuade Iran to suspend uranium enrichment - a process that can produce material for atomic weapons as well as fuel for reactors.
The incentives, offered to Tehran on June 6, include advanced technology and the easing of U.S. sanctions on the sale of aircraft and aircraft parts.
Last week, the world powers decided to refer Iran to the U.N. Security Council, saying it had taken too long to reply and had given no sign of wanting to negotiate in earnest over its nuclear ambitions.
On Thursday, Iran's Supreme National Security Council said the Islamic republic would reply Aug. 22 but suggested it was likely to reject the main point of the West's proposals: the imposition of a long-term moratorium on enrichment.
A spokesman for Russia's Foreign Ministry, Mikhail Kamynin, criticized Iran's statement on the incentives, saying it contained no new ideas or signs that Tehran was ready for constructive talks, news agencies reported Friday.
In May, Ahmadinejad sent an 18-page letter to President Bush that also did not address the nuclear issue and was dismissed promptly by Washington.
While that letter marked a diplomatic overture, it was laced with old grievances against the United States and spelled out a long list of Iranian demands.
MyWay
What a nutcase
posted by madtom at 9:37 AM
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