The Hindu : Front Page : Iran adopts defiant stand

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 25, 2006
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Front Page

Iran adopts defiant stand

Atul Aneja

Tehran to begin installing of 3,000 centrifuges at Natanz facility

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DUBAI: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has dismissed the United Nations Security Council resolution that imposes limited sanctions but rules out use of force against Tehran.

"It is a piece of torn paper ... by which they aim to scare Iranians ... It is in the Westerners' interests to live with a nuclear Iran," the semi-official Fars news agency quoted him as saying.

Mr. Ahmadinejad said the Council's actions would not have any impact on his country's nuclear programme. "This resolution will not harm Iran and those who backed it will soon regret their superficial act," he said. "Iranians are neither worried nor uncomfortable with the resolution ... we will celebrate our atomic achievements in February."

The resolution calls upon Iran to end all research on uranium enrichment, and halt all research and development on ways to produce and launch nuclear weapons. Defying the Council's call, Iran's top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani asserted that Tehran would immediately begin installing 3,000 centrifuges, used for enrichment, at its Natanz facility. "From Sunday morning, we will begin activities at Natanz — the site of 3,000 centrifuge machines — and we will drive it with full speed. It will be our immediate response to the resolution," Iran's Kayhan daily quoted the official as saying.

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