24 September 2006Yahoo! Finance
Among America's most urgent challenges are Iran and Iraq. And while Iraqi President Jalal Talabani is optimistic about his country's future, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad remains intransigent in his refusal to halt nuclear-related activities as demanded by the United States as a precondition for talks. Both presidents speak separately with Special Diplomatic Correspondent Lally Weymouth in interviews in the October 2 issue of Newsweek (on newsstands Monday, September 25).
Asked if Iran will stop enrichment and reprocessing activities, Ahmadinejad says, "Why should we agree to that? There is no such provision in the NPT [Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty]." Weymouth asks if Iran did not put its NPT membership in question by violating it for more than 10 years. Ahmadinejad tells Newsweek, "It is the right of all member states of the NPT to have the technology for fuel reprocessing." Pressed for comment on his previously reported assertion that Israel should be wiped off the face of the earth, the Iranian president says," Our suggestion is very clear ... Let the Palestinian people decide their fate in a free and fair referendum, and the result, whatever it is, should be accepted ... The people with no roots there are now ruling the land." Weymouth asks if the Palestinian people opted for a two-state solution, would he support that decision. Ahmadinejad tells Newsweek, "Israel currently occupies Palestine. Where did they come from? They should return."
Weymouth asks Talabani when U.S. troops should leave Iraq. Talabani tells Newsweek, "I think within two years we will be able to train our army and have the capacity to face terrorism. When we ask our allies to leave Iraq it will depend on being able to keep Iraq's sovereignty and independence free of danger from the outside. The presence of American forces-even a symbolic one- will frighten those who are trying to interfere in our affairs." Weymouth asks what Talabani thinks of the American idea of transforming Middle Eastern countries into democracies. Talabani says he supports the idea, "I believe democracy is the panacea for all problems in the Middle East."
