White House urges “skepticism” on Ahmadinejad statements
Washington, 29 July (IranVNC)—The White House yesterday urged “skepticism” toward an interview by the US television network, NBC, with Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who said he would seek “common ground” with the U.S. and other powers that have urged Iran to suspend its nuclear program.
By: IranVNC
Published: Tuesday, July 29, 2008
14:00GMT—10:00AM/EST
IRAN – US – INTERVIEW
Washington, 29 July (IranVNC)—The White House yesterday urged “skepticism” toward an interview by the US television network, NBC, with Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who said he would seek “common ground” with the U.S. and other powers that have urged Iran to suspend its nuclear program.
“President Ahmadinejad said one thing to the Iranian people on Saturday and another thing to an American journalist on Monday,” White House Press Secretary Dana Perino told reporters. “So I think that all of us need to consider this with a healthy dose of skepticism.”
The interview with NBC News, which was broadcast live from the presidential compound in Tehran, came less than a week before Iran’s deadline to reply to a package of incentives offered by the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany.
When asked how Iran will respond, Ahmadinejad replied that he did not “get the impression” that a deadline had been imposed, and added: “They submitted a package and we responded by submitting our own package.”
“The main question here is whether this approach is the continuation of the old approach or it – is it a totally new approach? If they are going to threaten the Iranian people and impose their will on us, the answer is very clear,” he continued.
But the White House spokesperson told reporters that “there is a new approach” to persuading Iran to suspend uranium enrichment: “One that the international community came together on and said: We do not believe that Iran should be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon.”
Perino continued: “That’s all they have to do is suspend and then this incentives package could move forward and so could negotiations. And then the Iranian people could move forward to not be so isolated.”
On Saturday 26 July, Ahmadinejad announced that Iran had increased the number of uranium-enriching centrifuges to between 5,000 and 6,000 – a major expansion of the country’s nuclear program, which the West fears Tehran is using to develop nuclear weapons.
Asked whether the incentives would be taken off the table if Tehran does not agree to suspend its sensitive nuclear work, Perino declined to comment, but said Iran could face additional sanctions if it does not “respond favorably”.
For its part, the State Department said it was awaiting Iran’s response by the set deadline of 2 August.
Spokesperson Gonzalo Gallegos told reporters yesterday that the U.S. was awaiting a “clear message” from Iran that would “describe exactly what they want to do.”
Source: White House website, NBC website
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