Russia tells US to Take A Hike

Things are looking pretty bleak for neo-cons as Russia slaps down demands to halt nuclear cooperation with Iran.

Moscow says that the construction of a nuclear power plant in Bushehr, Iran, complies with all Russian international obligations and does not constitute a threat to the nuclear non-proliferation regime.

"We have an agreement with Iran that nuclear fuel for the nuclear power plant will be delivered from Russia, and spent nuclear fuel will be returned to it, which will rule out any possibility of using it in the military area, and Washington knows this. From this point of view the nuclear plant does not constitute any threat to the non- proliferation regime," Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Mikhail Kamynin said, commenting on the demand from U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns to stop nuclear cooperation with Iran.

"The construction of the nuclear power plant in Bushehr, which is under full control of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), is being carried out in strict compliance with our international obligations. This nuclear plant has no relation to Iranian enrichment research," the spokesman said.

"The United States knows full well that the reactor of the Bushehr nuclear power plant cannot be used to produce military materials because of its technical specifications," he said.

Moreover, Moscow proceeds from the fact that only the UN Security Council may pass obligatory resolutions on curtailing cooperation with any state, Kamynin said.

"As yet the UN Security Council has not taken any decision on halting cooperation with Iran in the area of nuclear energy. Of course, any state may decide for itself on how it cooperates with other states," Kamynin said.

In other words, 'Take a hike, bub. We'll do whatever we damn well please.'

Not too encouraging.

The US will likely get a similar response to their request that Russia cancel planned military sales to Iran.

Russia plans to sell Tehran 29 TOR M1 mobile surface-to-air missile defence systems in a deal said to be worth about US $700 million (£392m).

"This is not time for business as usual with the Iranian government," a top US state department official said.

* * *

"All countries should refrain from military sales and arm sales." . . .

"We hope and we trust that that deal will not go forward because this is not time for business as usual with the Iranian government."

But, unlike the US and the IAEA who demand Iran prove that it's not working on developing nuclear weapons, Russia demands proof that it IS.

Russia says it has to see concrete proof that Iran's nuclear programme - which it is supplying with technology - is not peaceful.

The UN's position is that so far no proof has emerged that Iran is seeking nuclear weapons but nor has Iran proved that it is not.

Neo-cons don't have a leg to stand on and they know it. Me thinks the end is drawing near - the US is getting desperate.