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France's Sarkozy raises prospect
of Iran airstrikes
Reuters
Tuesday Aug 28, 2007
In his first major foreign policy speech, French president
says diplomatic push by world's powers to rein in Tehran's nuclear
program is only alternative to 'Iranian bomb or bombing of Iran'
French President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Monday a diplomatic
push by the world's powers to rein in Tehran's nuclear program
was the only alternative to "an Iranian bomb or the bombing
of Iran."
In his first major foreign policy speech, Sarkozy emphasized
his existing foreign policy priorities, such as opposing Turkish
membership of the European Union and pushing for a new Mediterranean
Union that he hopes will include Ankara.
He also presented some new ideas, such as possibly renewing high-level
dialogue with Syria and expanding the Group of Eight industrialized
nations to include the biggest developing states.
Sarkozy said a nuclear-armed Iran would be unacceptable and that
major powers should continue their policy of incrementally increasing
sanctions against Tehran while being open to talks if Iran suspended
nuclear activities.
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"This initiative is the only one that can enable us to escape
an alternative that I say is catastrophic: the Iranian bomb or
the bombing of Iran," he said, adding that it was the worst
crisis currently facing the world.
Tehran says it only wants to generate electricity but it has
yet to convince the world's most powerful countries that it is
not secretly pursuing nuclear weapons.
Sarkozy criticized Russia for its dealings on the international
stage. "Russia is imposing its return on the world scene by
using its assets, notably oil and gas, with a certain brutality,"
he said.
"When one is a great power, one should not be brutal."
Energy disputes between Russia and neighbors such as Belarus
and Ukraine have raised doubts in Europe about Moscow's reliability
as a gas exporter. It supplies Europe, via its neighbors, with
around a quarter of its gas demands.
Sarkozy had warm words for the United States, saying friendship
between the two countries was important. But he said he felt free
to disagree with American policies, highlighting what he called
a lack of leadership on the environment.
Franco-Syrian dialogue
Breaking with the policy of his predecessor Jacques Chirac, Sarkozy
said he was prepared to hold high-level talks with Syria if it
backed French efforts aimed at ending the political crisis in
Lebanon. "If Damascus committed itself to this path, then
the conditions for a Franco-Syrian dialogue would be in place."
But he stuck to his predecessor's stance in demanding that a
timeline be drawn up for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq.
Sarkozy said the only option for Turkey's accession talks with
the European Union was a form of privileged partnership short
of EU membership, and said he wanted a Mediterranean Union to
take shape next year.
Turkey has said that project should not be an alternative to Ankara
joining the European Union.
Sarkozy proposed setting up a "committee of wise men"
to consider the future of Europe, including the Turkish question.
He criticized Beijing's management of its currency, which he
says is too low and gives it an unfair advantage on export markets.
He said China and other developing powers Mexico, South Africa,
Brazil and India should eventually join the Group of Eight (G8)
industrialized nations to become the G13.
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