US rebuffs Europe on Iranian nuke talks
Reuters, Washington
The United States has rebuffed pleas to join a European diplomatic drive to persuade Iran to give up any ambitions to add nuclear bombs to its arsenal, US officials and foreign diplomats say.For months, Britain, France and Germany have hoped to improve their bargaining power with the Islamic republic by involving Washington in a proposed accord over an end to its uranium enrichment activities. That effort has intensified since President Bush's re-election in November, culminating last week with ministerial visits to Condoleezza Rice days before she took up her new post as secretary of state, they said. So far, the Americans show no sign of giving ground. "It's what they (the Europeans) have always wanted to do," a senior Bush administration official said. "(British Foreign Secretary) Jack (Straw) came over hoping Condi would change our policy and she didn't."
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