Kerry: Iran's Nuclear Enrichment For Energy Is Its Right

Financial Times:

One of the most senior Democrats in Washington has dismissed a key element in the west's long standing strategy on Iran's nuclear programme as "ridiculous".

Read the whole story: Financial Times

Comments

[Mollabaji]

my first reaction is: Where have you, senator Kerry, been for the last 4 years? I suppose it is better later than never and hope the other members of the Senate follow suit. It is about time. U.S. just have to accept and live with a highly develooped and progressive Iran in the region, and as the most democratic (despite the MSM propaganda) country in the Middle East.

[mikefina]

More democratic than Israel or Lebanon? As imperfect as those two are--unlikely that Iran is MORE democratic.

[ModernTimes1]

re. "the most democratic (despite the MSM propaganda) country in the Middle East>"
The most ridiculous statement of the year. Congrats, Mullah.

[Macready]

finally . . . .

[Doomestic]

I already can smell a deal being reached if Mousavi wins. It is already accepted by Iran to have strict inspections on their enrichment program.

The only question is, when will it be struck. Iran has a lot to offer in return in the region, including help in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and with Energy pipelines to Europe. In fact, strategically, Iran is far more valuable to the US than Israel is today.

[SheikPA]

This is what you call smart foreign policy. Im am so glad we have men and women of inteligence running our foreign policy. Unlike like the previous 8 years of drunken wild cowboys who shoot before strategic planning.

[Macready]

you are so right SheikPA . . israeli has to be made to declare their nuclear weapons . . all of them and sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty . . .

[Mollabaji]

Where was all this intelligence hiding for the last decade? Suddenly now they show up! Any explanation? It was Ahmadinejad that brought U.S. to this realization.

[Macready]

I think you are right Mollabaji . . .

[PeaceIsMyName]

Good for Kerry to think that way. Iran has every right to do what it wants. It's especially hypocritical for the United States and Israel to dictate who can and who cannot have nuclear enrichment when they themselves house so many nuclear weapons.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin came out and said that he would be more than happy to get rid of his country's stash of nuclear weapons if President Obama got rid of his country's stash. Fair enough.

I don't think any country should have nuclear weapons, personally.

[Cosmic-Zantor]

You don't think any country should have nuclear weapons, or you think Iran should have nuclear weapons?

Pick one, they're in complete disagreement with each other.

[PeaceIsMyName]

Excuse me, you misunderstood me.

My reasoning is that since the United States has it, then Iran can do whatever it wants. One country cannot have nuclear weapons/enrichment and another is denied it.

However, I would prefer the U.S. and all countries in the world not to have nuclear weapons and it would be more appropriate for the U.S. to first practice what it is preaching to Iran, so not to be hypocritical.

[monelis]

Iran nuclear program is just the game created by Military Industrial Complex. Iran in a ways has replaced the Ex-Soviets as the enemy of the States and Middle East.

While we rule the neighborhood and get 20-30% of our oil from there, in return for the oil money we sell the Arab countries our outdated military equipments and technologies,. We have scared the Arabs so bad that they think Persians are coming to get them.

I wonder what would be the AIPAC’s response to senator Kerry’s comment or did they approve it first.

[bobdob]

Good for Senator Kerry. Not only do they have a right to pursue peaceful nuclear development, but we'll be better off if they do. China is building a coal plant a day. We need to stop treating the rest of the world as if they're children.

[mikefina]

Any objection to U.S. developing nuclear power with an agressive, fast- tracked environmental review?

[Sam Sedaei - Huffpost Blogger]

Good for him. This whole obsession with Iran's nuclear program has been ridiculous since the beginning.

[persianadvocate]

Sam,
It was clearly a distraction from Israel's atrocious policies of literally establishing a state over people that lived there for 2000 years. Disgusting, really.

[mikefina]

Take a snapshot of nearly any civilization, society or country, at any time in history. There is ALWAYS some claim that someone else was there first.

What is relevant is who is there NOW.

[mikefina]

Respectfully, will it be ridiculous if they weaponize their nuclear fuel?

[persianadvocate]

It was ridiculous when Israel did it. Iran's official state policy is that nuclear weapons are retarded. I agree, and also, the transitive property of math applies here :)

[Khirad]

Yeah, how was it not ridiculous when Israel did it? How about Iran ignore calls for international inspections and adopt the same ambiguity policy once it does?!

[PhoenixRevived]

Wow sanity in congress - what a concept!
I wish he had seen a little more of this in 2004 - we may have spared ourselves 4 more years of hell!

[mikefina]

Well Senator, may we request that you allow AMERICA nuclear enrichment for her energy needs??

[nanotubz]

Enrichment and construction are not the same. We possess excess enrichment capacity for the number of nuclear power reactors in this country. The problem who are willing to accept new plants with in a 1000 miles of where they live.

[mikefina]

Yes, I used 'enrichment' as a proxy argument for construction--fair point.

Your second point IS the problem. No one wants ANY large-scale power generation facility near them.

The oft ignored component of the wind and solar debate--NIMBY politics. Blue state leaders Sens. Kerry and Kennedy opposed off-shore wind farm near Cape Cod because it was aesthetically undesirable for them and their neighbors, Mr. Cronkite et al. Blus state leader in California opposed solar farm because it was potentially diruptive of the desert ecosystem in which it was to be sited. The true politics of energy are being revealed--coastal elites want cheap power, but they want to export the liabilities to Red State 'flyover' country.

This is of course only part of the problem. Throw Nuke power into the conversation and we might as well plan on reading by moonlight.