Iran Stresses Distinction With N-Korea

Source: Alalam.ir, 01-07-2008

TEHRAN--The Islamic Republic of Iran rejects any comparison of its peaceful nuclear program with that of North Korea, Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad-Ali Hosseini said on Tuesday.

The spokesman stressed the peaceful nature of the Islamic republic's nuclear program, saying that "any comparison in this regard is simply wrong".

Hosseini was referring to North Korea's decision to destroy a cooling tower at its Yongbyon plant in a move to show it would dismantle its nuclear weapons program.

"All Iran's nuclear projects are peaceful, under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and in line with Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Hence there should be no illogical comparison with countries which do not have such a status," Hosseini said.

North Korea has openly been conducting a nuclear weapons program for years and has tested nuclear weapons several times. Furthermore the country is not a signatory to the NPT.

Nevertheless, Iranian parliament deputies were quoted as saying on Monday that the Islamic republic would resume nuclear talks next week with Western representatives.

European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana last month delivered a package of proposals to Tehran in a bid to force Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment program which is entitled to have as a signatory to the NPT.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman strongly condemned Britain for having awarded the apostate Indian-born British author Salman Rushdie a knighthood.

"Together with other Muslims worldwide, Iran harshly condemns awarding Salman Rushdie and considers this act by Britain as a clear insult to the belief and sanctities of over 1 billion world Muslims," Hosseini said.

Rushdie received last Wednesday a knighthood for what they call the services to literature from Britain's Queen Elizabeth II.

He sparked protests in Muslim countries around the world with his book The Satanic Verses.
In 1989, the late Imam Khomeini, the spiritual leader of Iran, issued a fatwa (death sentence) against him for blasphemy.

Following the decree, the 15th Khordad Foundation, a cultural body, put a bounty o 2.8 million dollars on Rushdie's head and regularly stressed that the fatwa would be "forever alive."