Vital Perspective

Lavrov: Quartet Making "Unrealistic" Demands; Fatah Welcomes Statement

Russian FM Sergei Lavrov told Kuna, the Kuwait state news agency yesterday, that the Quartet is making "unrealistic" demands on the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority. "Demanding Hamas fulfil all the demands of the international Quartet, including the recognition of Israel, renouncing violence and accepting all the standing agreements is unrealistic," Lavrov said.

He "expressed his regret" for the attempts made by certain members of the Quartet to affect negatively the political process in the Palestinian territories through posing exaggerated demands. However, he said he was confident Hamas can gradually move towards fulfilling the demands of the Quartet.

Soon after his comments were made public, WAFA Palestine News Agency reported the welcomed response of Fatah spokesman Ahmed Abdul Rahman. He told WAFA that this Russian stance must be interpreted in the upcoming meeting of the Quartet by lifting the suspension of the international imposed on the Palestinian people.

Ayatollah: Iranian Nuclear Program to Continue; Sanctions Meeting Scheduled

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said today that Tehran will continue its pursuit of nuclear technology and hinted it would not suspend uranium enrichment. "Our policy is clear, progress with clear logic and insisting on the nation's right without any retreat," state television quoted him as saying.

Iran dismissed media reports last week that it might be ready to freeze atomic fuel manufacturing work for 90 days to allow direct negotiations with the U.S. and other major powers. Iran had earlier suspended enrichment under a deal agreed with the EU but that deal broke down last year.

"Iran has always taken advantage of any possibility to negotiate and co-operate in the field of nuclear energy and it will continue this policy," said Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on state-run television. Referring to the incentive package, he said "Iran's proposal is an appropriate framework for co-operation in the nuclear issue and the Iranian nation will continue the path of dignity with perseverance and prudence without any fear."

Western diplomats say Iran has been pushing for more talks as a stalling tactic, in order to avoid taking action. In a follow-up to last week's meeting in London, major powers are to discuss a menu of sanctions on Wednesday that could be imposed against Iran for its refusal to abandon uranium enrichment. Ambassadors at the UN are expected to take up the issue after the meeting.

Bush Administration Puts Sanctions Against Iran on Hold for EU Negotiations

The Bush administration has postponed its pursuit of sanctions against Iran for "a few weeks" to allow EU allies additional time to try to negotiate a suspension of uranium enrichment and reprocessing with the regime.

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana told Secretary Rice in a telephone conversation before meeting with Iranian nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani in Berlin that Larijani "seems to be sincere" in trying to find a compromise, U.S. officials said. The five-hour talks were described as intensive. The two men planned to meet again today. Officials said that Solana suggested a little more time to negotiate might pay off, and that Rice agreed.

"Our response was, 'Absolutely, if it's a matter of a few days, a few weeks here to see if there is a possibility of keeping open a negotiated diplomatic solution,' " State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters. "We want to give that every opportunity to succeed." The administration had given Tehran an Aug. 31 deadline and threatened to push for sanctions. China and Russia have been firm in refusing to join in any punitive move.

Report: EU, Iran Close to Deal for 90-Day Suspension of Uranium Enrichment

Bill Gertz of The Washington Times reported today that Iran is close to a deal that would include a temporary suspension of uranium enrichment and clear the way for nuclear talks but Tehran wants to keep the agreement secret.

The deal could be completed either Tuesday or Wednesday when EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and Iranian negotiator Ali Larijani are set to meet in Europe, the report said, citing Bush administration officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.

However, a spokeswoman for Solana said he had no plans to meet Larijani on Tuesday. She declined comment on the Washington Times report but said senior EU official Robert Cooper and Iranian official Javad Vaedi had held talks in Paris on Monday.

Foreign ministers of the major powers agreed last week in New York to give Solana a few more weeks to try to clinch a deal on launching formal negotiations, setting an unannounced deadline of early October, diplomats said. Under the proposed agreement, Iran would halt uranium enrichment for 90 days so additional talks could be held with several European nations.

Quartet to Palestinians: Unity Government Must Comply with Basic Principles

We've just received a copy of the Quartet statement on the Israeli - Palestinian conflict that was released today. The focus is international humanitarian assistance via the Temporary International Mechanism which was created in June to circumvent the Hamas-led government.

While most of the mainstream is focused on the endorsement of a unity government, the language is clear that the Quartet is sticking to its demand that the Palestinian government recognize Israel, renounce terror and accept all prior agreements with Israel. This is what the Quartet means when they condition their endorsement "in the hope that the platform of such a government would reflect Quartet principles." Here is the bottom line: it's not the government that matters, it's the platform.

STATEMENT OF THE QUARTET
New York, 20 September 2006

Quartet principals – United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, High Representative for European Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana, and European Commissioner for External Relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner – met today in New York to discuss developments in the Middle East since their last meeting May 9.

Taking stock of recent developments in the region, the Quartet stressed the urgent need to make progress towards a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the Middle East. The Quartet expressed its concern at the grave crisis in Gaza and the continued stalemate between Israel and the Palestinians.

The Quartet welcomed the efforts of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to form a government of national unity, in the hope that the platform of such a government would reflect Quartet principles and allow for early engagement.

The Quartet underlined the urgent need for the parties to implement fully all aspects of the Agreement on Movement and Access. Accordingly, Rafah and all other passages should remain open consistent with relevant agreements.

The Quartet encouraged greater donor support to meet the needs of the Palestinian people, with a particular emphasis on security sector reform, reconstruction of damaged infrastructure, and economic development. The Quartet commended the efforts of the World Bank and the European Union to facilitate needs-based assistance directly to the Palestinian people via the Temporary International Mechanism endorsed by the Quartet on June 17. Mindful of the continuing needs of the Palestinian people, the Quartet endorsed the continuation and expansion of the Temporary International Mechanism for a three month period, and agreed to again review the need for such a mechanism at the end of that period.

The Quartet noted that the resumption of transfers of tax and customs revenues collected by Israel on behalf of the Palestinian Authority would have a significant impact on the Palestinian economy. The Quartet encouraged Israel and the Palestinian Authority to consider resumption of such transfers via the Temporary International Mechanism to improve the economic and humanitarian conditions in the West Bank and Gaza.

The Quartet welcomed the initiative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations to request Mr. James D. Wolfensohn to report on the situation on the ground.

The Quartet reaffirmed its commitment to the roadmap as the means to realize the goal of two democratic states – Israel and Palestine – living side by side in peace and security. The Quartet stressed the need for a credible political process in order to make progress towards a two-state solution through dialogue and parallel implementation of obligations. In this context, the Quartet welcomed the prospect of a meeting between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and President Mahmoud Abbas in the near future. The Quartet agreed to meet on a regular basis in the coming period at both the Principals and Envoys level, including with the parties and other regional partners to monitor developments and actions taken by the parties and to discuss the way ahead.

Sr. Administration Officials Discuss UN General Assembly Plans for Bush, Rice

This afternoon we got glimpse into President Bush's and Secretary Rice's plans for the opening of the 61st UN General Assembly next week. As most people are aware, Bush will address the General Assembly on September 19 and is expected to focus on events in the Middle East, on Darfur and the democracy agenda.

A senior administration official speaking on the condition of anonymity in a conference call earlier today said that among other meetings before his speech not relevant to our focus, Bush "will have a bilateral meeting with the prime minister of Malaysia. This is important, aside from the substance of what they will discuss, I think, to demonstrate Malaysia is a democratic country with a moderate form of Islamic government, and the idea is here -- that is, Malaysia is a very good demonstration of how Islam and democracy are fully compatible concepts."

The speech itself on September 19 "will lay out his positive vision for the Middle East and the bright democratic future that we see for the Middle East in contradistinction to some who have an almost backward-looking vision for that region." Immediately following the speech Bush will meet with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani.

Rice will have a much more extended trip to New York. The day before Bush's speech, Rice will attend the Iraq compact conference hosted by Secretary-General Kofi Annan. On the 19th, she will accompany Bush to meetings with French President Jacques Chirac on a series of issues related to the Middle East, namely Lebanon, Iran, Sudan-Darfur and, of course, Israel-Palestinian issues. There will also be a meeting with Annan before his speech, and a dinner with the foreign ministers of the P-5 plus Germany and Italy afterwards.

The day after the speech when Bush heads back to Washington, Rice will attend an important Quartet meeting on the Middle East peace process. The following day she'll meet with NATO foreign ministers to discuss the situation in Afghanistan in preparation for the NATO summit in November. On Friday she's scheduled for another P-5 meeting as well as a meeting of foreign ministers and political directors from the G-8. At some point in the week she'll meet with Talabani as well.

EU to Back Unity Govt Despite Failure to Fulfill Quartet Requirements for Aid

Foreign Ministers from the EU have agreed to back a Palestinian unity government despite U.S. misgivings. "We agreed that we have to support the new Palestinian government. It's a very important turning point for the situation," Italian FM Massimo D'Alema said." Javier Solana told us in the platform there will be recognition by the new government of the treaty signed by the Palestinian Authority in the past - it means recognise Israel as a partner."

This would be news to us, because we haven't seen a single report of any physical document in existence with any platform, nor have any of our contacts. Moreover, while recognizing Israel's right to exist is a key component for the resumption of foreign aid, the Quartet (EU, U.S., Russia and UN) have repeatedly stated that the Hamas-led government must also renounce violence and accept previous peace accords. That doesn't mean some previous peace accords or the ones that are in accordance with Palestinian goals as determined by Hamas, but all previous peace accords. If every government in the international community were not bound by all of the treaties signed by prior governments there would be anarchy around the globe.

It seems that only the Dutch understand that fact. Dutch FM Ben Bot said earlier Friday that "We are willing to engage with the Palestinian authorities if they are willing to comply with the three demands," but signals from the Palestinians so far were "not very positive." In contrast, French FM Philippe Douste-Blazy met with Abbas in Ramallah yesterday and ignored the other requirements for aid in his indication that formation of a unity government could lead to resumption of assistance.

Saudis Tout Arab Initiative; Egypt to Call For Jump to Final Status Issues at UN

Saudi Arabia said on Thursday that its 2002 Middle East peace plan, widely known as the Arab Peace Initiative, remained the only framework to end the Arab-Israeli conflict, as the UN prepares to discuss the issue. The Security Council was due to meet later this month to discuss Arab proposals to revive peace talks that have repeatedly stalled in large part due to the Palestinian failure to implement the initial steps of the Road Map agreement.

The document was adopted by the Arab League in 2002 and foresees an end to the conflict through land-for-peace deals with Syria, Lebanon and the Palestinians. Let us remember that Israel was never consulted at any time on the agreement, and the Arabs now call their unilateral decision the "only framework." Placed side-by-side against the Road Map, which was accepted by the U.S., Russia, EU, UN, Israel and the Palestinian Authority, we clearly disagree. The Arab Initiative is far from the "only framework"... in fact, it's not a legitimate framework at all.

Another proposal to be presented by Egypt to the Security Council calls for reversing the timetable of the Road Map by fixing the borders of a Palestinian state before resuming talks. That's nothing short of a formula for disaster. Jumping directly into final status issues before the Hamas-led government recognizes Israel, accepts past agreements and renounces violence, before the territories are demilitarized, before the rocket attacks and kidnappings end, would create immense tension and more terrorism by irresponsibly raising expectations for a quick resolution. If you jump to final status issues without first dealing with the surface issues such as terror, you can expect nothing short of a disaster.

"The Road Map should have a conclusion and that is the creation of a Palestinian state. We need to agree on the concept and the borders, and then negotiate on the means of achieving this goal," Egyptian FM Ahmad Abu al-Gheit said Thursday. "Everyone must work toward the realization of the true goal of the peace process, which is to establish a Palestinian state."

EU, Iran to Meet; Foreign Ministers to Discuss Sanctions at General Assembly

Tomorrow, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana will meet with Iranian nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani. Officials from delegations familiar with the first meeting said Iran had made an unofficial, tentative offer to freeze nuclear enrichment for up to two months. However, the Bush administration on Tuesday dismissed suggestions that Iran might enact such a suspension.

The foreign ministers of major powers will meet on the sidelines of the General Assembly in New York next week to discuss moving forward with possible sanctions against Tehran if there has been no breakthrough by then. However, China and Russia, plus a number of European nations with significant trade with Iran, are wary of imposing sanctions and advocate giving more time to seek a possible compromise.

Iran Cancels Meeting with EU Ahead of Berlin Meeting on Sanctions Strategy

Talks on Iran's nuclear program scheduled for today have been canceled by a senior Iranian envoy, moving Tehran a step closer to sanctions after it defied a Security Council deadline to freeze uranium enrichment. It was the third deadline in two weeks that has passed with Iran failing to declare it has stopped its enrichment program. European negotiators had persuaded the UN to allow an extension given what Tehran said was its preparedness to enter into serious talks.

The talks were to be a final attempt to see if there was any common ground to start negotiations between Iran and the P-5 + 1, but while the EU's Javier Solana had been ready to fly to the Austrian capital at short notice, the talks had been left hanging by uncertainty over whether Iranian nuclear envoy Ali Larijani would come.

"We will not have the meeting today in Vienna," Ali Ashgar Soltanieh, the chief Iranian envoy to the IAEA said. "Both sides are arranging for a couple of days later."

In Berlin tomorrow, senior negotiators from the P-5 + 1 will meet to plan their strategy on a sanctions package. In a further sign of Tehran's defiance, Iran's parliament took the first step Tuesday toward blocking international inspection of nuclear installations in case of sanctions. The measure would need approval by other bodies before it could take effect.

UPDATE 09/06 @ 14:05: Iranian state television reports that Larijani will hold talks with Solana on Thursday in Spain. Solana's office, however, said he was due to travel to Copenhagen for talks with Danish officials and would not return to Brussels until Friday afternoon. Solana's aides have said that he was ready to change plans at the last minute if needed.