Pentagon chief brands Iran as leading terrorist nation, yet hopes Tehran takes diplomatic carrot
…Despite the diplomatic efforts, Rumsfeld did not retreat from his assessment of Iran. In doing so, Russia and China came under criticism for allowing Iran’s involvement in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
The group, which includes Russia, China and four Central Asian nations, was founded to build confidence among the member nations and grapple with militant Islamic groups.
Iran’s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, was invited to the annual summit in Shanghai this month. Iran is an observer to group and has applied for full membership.
Rumsfeld said he finds it “passing strange” to bring the “leading terrorist nation in the world into an organization that says it’s against terror.”
cbs2chicago.com
Ah the irony…
Iran bomb ‘within next 10 years’
Iran resumed enrichment of uranium this year but remains a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and maintains that its activities are aimed only at energy production.
However in his interview with the BBC, Mr Negroponte said: “[Iran] seems to be determined to develop nuclear weapons.
“We don’t have a clear-cut knowledge but the estimate we have made is some time between the beginning of the next decade and the middle of the next decade they might be in a position to have a nuclear weapon, which is a cause of great concern.”
Mr Negroponte also accused Iran of being the world’s top state sponsor of terrorism.