[Benjamin]

07-13-06
President Vladimir Putin cautioned against rushing to punish Iran for its nuclear programs, but said Tehran should respond more quickly to international proposals to end the standoff, according to a Kremlin interview transcript Thursday.
"We believe that the situation should not be brought to a deadlock, to deteriorate it," Putin said, according to the Kremlin. "We of course would like Iran to react quicker. But we also have negative examples of how haste in seeking solutions to other, no less sensitive or difficult issues, also in the same region, led to a situation that no one knows how to get out, that is emerging, say, in Iraq."

Iran this week said it needed more time to consider a package of incentives from the six negotiating nations in return for its halting uranium enrichment. The move prompted the six - the U.S., France, the U.K., China, Russia and Germany -to agree Wednesday to send Iran back to the U.N. Security Council for possible punishment.
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14.07.2006 13:28
G8 SUMMIT New sanctions against NKorea/Iran would be unhelpful- Russian diplomat

LONDON (AFX) - Sanctions against North Korea and Iran would not be helpful and pose a direct threat to Russia, a Russian diplomat said ahead of this weekend's meeting of G8 leaders.

Iran's nuclear plans have been a source of concern for some time, but North Korea heightened regional tensions when it last week test fired seven missiles into the Sea of Japan without causing any damage.

The test reportedly included a long-range Taepodong-2, which can reach the West Coast of the US.

The Russian diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he expected both countries to be on the summit agenda.

'Of course they will discuss it and they will need to have a kind of statement about Iran and North Korea,' he said.

'But how they will be speaking about this and how far they would be ready to go I don't know.'

'Sometimes you hear about imposing new sanctions on North Korea but you know we don't believe that it will be helpful. They will be discussing the danger of the issue, what to do, how to do it and I think the views will be different.'

'I think all the countries understand the same level of danger when they speak about those countries, Iran and North Korea.'

The diplomat said talk of possible military action against Iran by the US 'scared' the Russian government because 'they are our neighbours'.

'They are also very close to Israel and the whole situation could get out of control. The situation in Iraq is very difficult and beside Iraq we have Iran, for Russia it would be very dangerous,' he said.

'We don't believe its just a simple question (of) sanctions resolving the issue.'
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14.07.2006
Irans Präsident spricht Warnung gegen Israel aus

Gemäß der Teheraner Nachrichtenagentur IRNA hat der iranische Präsident Mahmud Ahmadinedschad Israel vor einem Angriff auf Syrien ausdrücklich gewarnt. So müsse nach der Offensive Israels im Libanon, ein mögliches Vorgehen gegen Syrien als Aggression auf die gesamte islamische Welt verstanden werden. Ein Angriff Israels auf Syrien würde eine harte Reaktion auslösen. Zudem soll Ahmadinedschad in einem Telefonat mit dem syrischen Präsidenten Baschar al Assad seinem Land die volle Unterstützung des Iran zugesichert haben.

Zuvor hat Israel erklärt über Informationen zu verfügen, wonach die im Libanon operierende schiitische Hisbollah-Miliz eine Verlegung der zwei entführten israelischen Soldaten in den Iran erwägt.