January 6, 2006	Friday	Zilhaj 5, 1426

TEHRAN, Jan 5: President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad insisted on Thursday that Iran would resume atomic research, despite warnings from the West that this would endanger efforts to find a diplomatic compromise over its nuclear plans.

Tuesday’s announcement of a resumption after a break of more than two years brought swift warnings from Washington and the European Union who fear Iran is building nuclear weapons.

“Some of them have said the Iranian nation has no right to nuclear research,” Mr Ahmadinejad said in a speech in the holy city of Qom broadcast on state television.

“But they should know that the Iranian nation and government will defend the right to nuclear research and technology and will go forward prudently.”

Western diplomats have said the move, which followed its resumption of uranium conversion in August, was likely to increase calls for Iran to be referred to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions.

“Iran’s latest announcements are unhelpful and provocative,” a British Foreign Office spokesman said. “If there is any resumption of enrichment or (uranium) enrichment-related activity this would seriously aggravate the situation.”

Enriched uranium can be used to make nuclear weapons, although Iran says it only wants to produce low-grade enriched uranium to make electricity in atomic power reactors.

France said Iran’s planned resumption of research from Jan. 9 undermined negotiations with Iran by the EU trio of Britain, Germany and France.

“We firmly call for Iran to back down from the announcement that it intends to restart certain research and development activities, which, if they take place, clearly go against the demands of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) governors,” a Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

EMERGENCY IAEA MEETING POSSIBLE: An EU diplomat said resumption of research could prompt calls for an emergency meeting of the IAEA board.

“Whether such a meeting would lead to immediate referral is less clear — a statement might stop short of referral due to opposition from non-aligned movement and leave it to March’s IAEA meeting,” the diplomat said.

Mr Ahmadinejad’s speech was greeted with cries of ‘Ahmadinejad, our hero, we support you’, from the crowd.

He also defended his proposal that Israel be moved to Europe on the ground that the Palestinians should not suffer as a result of Europeans’ killing of Jews during World War Two.

“Why should the Palestinian nation pay the price for your crimes?” he said. “Give a piece of your country to them (Israelis), and let it be finished. There is no need for meetings, conferences, peace treaties and so on.” —Reuters