[NYTr] Military intervention in Iran would be "catastrophic": Moscow

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

AFP - Sep 18, 2007
http://www.afp.com/english/news/stories/070918053601.kklfupyz.html

Military intervention in Iran would be "catastrophic": Moscow

MOSCOW (AFP) - Any US military intervention in Iran would be a
"political error" that would have "catastrophic" consequences, Russian
Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov said in an interview
published Tuesday.

"Generally speaking, bombings of Iran would be a bad move that would
end with catastrophic consequences," he told the daily Vremya Novosti.

Losyukov expressed the hope that there would not be an escalation of
tension in the region, at least before the end of a summit of Caspian
Sea countries due to be held in Tehran on October 16.

"I don't know if the Americans will bomb during the Caspian summit. I
think they will refrain, otherwise they would have serious problems,"
he said in reply to a question.

"We are convinced that there is no military solution to the Iranian
problem. It's impossible. Besides, it is quite clear that there is no
military solution to the Iraq problem either. But in the case of Iran
everything could be even more complicated," he said.

At the same time, Losyukov did not rule out an eventual evacuation of
the Russian experts working on construction of a nuclear plant at
Bushehr.

"As the situation in Iran is difficult, we have plans to evacuate our
experts. They are drawn up and could be used," the deputy minister
said, adding the hope that this would not be necessary.

The use of force would only "worsen the situation in the Middle East"
and "bring a very negative reaction from the Muslim world."

"Of course I cannot know what is being thought in the United States,"
Losyukov said, but their military intervention in Iran "would be a big
diplomatic and political error."

French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said Monday tensions with Iran
are now "extreme", heightening a diplomatic storm caused by Foreign
Minister Bernard Kouchner's warning on Sunday that the world should
prepare for a possible conflict over Iran's alleged work on a nuclear
weapon.

US Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman said Monday the United States remains
"determined to use diplomacy" to resolve the Iranian nuclear crisis.

"We have said all along the United States government position has been
that we are determined to use diplomacy to resolve this matter," Bodman
told reporters at a meeting in Vienna of the International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA).

"I am hopeful that Iran will comply with the UN Security Council
resolutions and we continue to press them to do this. That is
ultimately the answer to all of this," Bodman said, referring to the
UN's imposing two rounds of sanctions to get Iran to stop enriching
uranium, which can be used to make atom bombs.

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates had said Sunday in Washington that
the United States will stick to diplomatic and economic pressure to
force Iran to halt its nuclear drive, but "all options are on the
table."

Iran denies Western allegations it seeks atomic weapons, saying its
nuclear drive is aimed at providing electricity for a growing
population whose fossil fuels will one day run out.