World powers compromise on Iran,Leeway on uranium enrichment

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<!--EZCODE LINK START--><a href="http://msnbc.msn.com/id/13177731/" target="top"><!--EZCODE UNDERLINE START--><span style="text-decoration:underline"><!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>World powers compromise on Iran demands</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--></span><!--EZCODE UNDERLINE END--></a><!--EZCODE LINK END--><br><br>Package gives Tehran leeway on uranium enrichment, diplomats say<br> <br>Updated: 1 hour, 8 minutes ago<br><br>VIENNA, Austria - <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>World powers have compromised on a demand that Iran commit to a long-term moratorium on uranium enrichment and are asking only for suspension during talks on Tehran's nuclear program</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END-->, diplomats said Wednesday.<br><br><!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>In another concession, Iran would be allowed to carry out uranium conversion, a precursor to enrichment, if it agrees to multi-nation talks, said the diplomats.</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--> They spoke to The Associated Press on <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to divulge the contents of the offer</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--> made by six countries to Tehran Tuesday in a bid to defuse the Iranian nuclear standoff.<br><br>Such changes to long-standing international demands on enrichment are important, because <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>they signal possible readiness to accept some limited form of the activity</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END-->, despite fears that it can be misused to make the fissile core of nuclear warheads.<br><br>Since talks between key European nations and Iran broke off in August, the public stance by those nations and the United States has been that Iran must commit to a long-term moratorium on enrichment to establish confidence as a precondition for talks on the nuclear standoff.<br><br><!--EZCODE UNDERLINE START--><span style="text-decoration:underline">Resignation to enrichment</span><!--EZCODE UNDERLINE END--><br><!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>Diplomats have told the AP that Germany, which participated in drawing up the six-nation package of perks and punishments meant to ultimately wean Iran off enrichment, has been advocating that Tehran be allowed such activity on a small scale.</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--> <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>Mohamed ElBaradei</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END-->, the head of the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency, <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>has backed that view, arguing that, with Iran already successful in small-scale enrichment, it was unlikely to give up its right to such activities.</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--><br><br><!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>Iran announced on April 11 that it had enriched uranium for the first time, using 164 centrifuges. Still, the country would <!--EZCODE UNDERLINE START--><span style="text-decoration:underline">need tens of thousands of centrifuges to produce adequate fuel for a nuclear reactor or material for a warhead </span><!--EZCODE UNDERLINE END--></strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END-->, and those advocating that Iran be allowed to do research and development on enrichment say it is better to permit it an internationally supervised program on such a small scale and try to gain agreement from Tehran that it will not develop a large industrial program.<br><br><!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>In an April report, ElBaradei said Iran's claim to have enriched small amounts to a level of 3.6 percent, fuel grade uranium as opposed to weapons grade enriched to levels above 90 percent, appeared to be true.</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--><br><br>It also said uranium conversion, an activity linked to enrichment, "is still ongoing," adding that <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>more than 110 metric tons, over 120 U.S. tons, have been converted over the past eight months.</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--> Were it used for weapons, that <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>amount would be enough for more than 15 crude nuclear bombs</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END-->, according to experts.<br><br>The Iran package was approved last week in Vienna by The United States, Russia, China, Britain and France, the five permanent U.N. Security Council members, plus Germany.<br><br>While it has not been made public, some of its contents have been leaked, <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>revealed major concessions by the United States meant to entice Iran to the negotiating table</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END-->, among them an offer to join key European nations in providing some nuclear technology to Teheran if it stops enriching uranium, diplomats say.<br><br>© 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. <p>___________________________________________<br>"BUSHCO aren't incompetent...they are COMPLICIT." -Me<br><br>"Speaking the Truth in times of universal deceit is a revolutionary act" -George Orwell</p><i></i>