KUWAIT MEDIA REACTION: IRAN'S NUCLEAR PROGRAM

UNCLAS KUWAIT 001887 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARPI, NEA/PA, NEA/AIA, NEA/PI, INR/NESA, R/MR, I/GNEA, B/BXN, B/BRN, NEA/PPD, NEA/IPA FOR ALTERMAN LONDON FOR TSOU PARIS FOR ZEYA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OPRC KMDR PREL KDEM PGOV KU SUBJECT: KUWAIT MEDIA REACTION: IRAN'S NUCLEAR PROGRAM Block Quotes -------------- Sunday, 21 May, 2006 -- Dr. Yakoub Ahmed Al-Sharah wrote in the moderate Arabic-language daily Al-Rai Al-Aam under the title "The Iranian nuclear crisis": "The use of force against IRAN means the widening of the circle of international terror and a conspiracy to destabilize the region. The current situation in Iraq is still bad and promises to get worse with sectarian violence and terror still rampant. There is no doubt that IRAN will do its best to maintain its interests and the interests of neighboring countries by solving the nuclear issue through diplomacy." Monday, 22 May, 2006 -- Abrar Al-Khamis wrote in the moderate Arabic-language daily Al-Rai Al-Aam under the title "Why Iran?": "Iran is a sovereign state and has the right to become a nuclear state and to enjoy the use of this energy for peaceful purposes. It also has the right, if it chooses, to back away from its aspirations. But we ask of everyone, not just Iran, that the nuclear technology not be used for military purposes as it threatens the entire world, not just the region. Let everyone's mantra be peace and security so that the entire world can live in harmony." -- Jassim Sayar Abdul Rahman Al-Muaawidah wrote in the moderate Arabic-language daily Al-Rai Al-Aam under the title "The Iranian nuclear program and its many aspects": "Iran has no intention of giving up its nuclear program, especially the military aspect of it. This means the continuation of uranium enrichment to achieve the needed uranium 235 in order to manufacture the appropriate number of warheads. It also means continuing on the path to separate plutonium 239, which is cooled by light water produced in Araq. IRAN will, most likely, continue with its program in secret while publicly stating that it does not seek weapons grade nuclear material." ********************************************* * For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/?cable s Visit Kuwait's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/ ********************************************* * LEBARON