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French Diplomat: "Iran Responded to Sanctions by Speeding Up Work on Bomb"

(Washington Post) Jim Hoagland - "Iran has responded to the toughening of sanctions by speeding up its work on a bomb, not slowing it down," says Jean-David Levitte, former French ambassador to Washington and, until May, then-President Nicolas Sarkozy's diplomatic adviser. "We now have only a relatively few months to act before Iran's nuclear effort becomes irreversible." Levitte believes that the six powers conducting nuclear negotiations with Iran have to make a final comprehensive offer. Failing Tehran's quick agreement to such a proposal, the only courses left open will be acceptance of an Iranian bomb or military action to prevent it, he argues. Levitte suggests that the international community must now go to Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with a choice: Iran finally agrees to restrict nuclear enrichment to 5% or less and exports its stockpile of higher-grade enriched uranium. Or the U.S., having made this high-profile final effort, will gain broader international acceptance of an American-led military strike to destroy Iran's nuclear capability at some point in 2013.
2012-12-31 00:00:00
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