Russia wants to weaken demands on Iran

By GEORGE JAHN, Associated Press Writer
2 hours, 50 minutes ago

VIENNA, Austria - Russia has rejected passages in a U.N. Security Council draft proposing sanctions against Iran's nuclear and missile programs, reflecting differences with the West on how to punish Tehran for its atomic program, according to a document obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press.

Moscow's proposed amendments to European-sponsored draft resolution, which is broadly endorsed by the United States, also weaken Western demands that Tehran stop working on a reactor that can produce plutonium and allow tougher U.N. inspections of its nuclear program. And it deletes any reference to Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant, being built with Russia's help.

The United States had reluctantly agreed to the proposals from France and Britain to exempt Bushehr from sanctions in a draft presented earlier this month. But U.N. diplomats said that the Kremlin wanted no mention of it whatsoever, to reflect its view that the plant should not be linked to international concerns that Tehran might be trying to develop nuclear arms. >>>cont

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