Iran claims diplomatic victory over U.S.

TEHRAN, Iran - With the European Union now in his corner, Iran's president on Wednesday described the showdowns over the country's nuclear ambitions as a diplomatic "boxing match" with the United States.

Iran is claiming victory in the latest round.

A promise to expand the bounds of nuclear inspections and suspend uranium enrichment - made Tuesday after talks with foreign ministers from Germany, France and Britain - is expected to secure Iran's immediate goal: keeping allegations of a secret atomic weapons program from reaching the U.N. Security Council.

But Iran also displayed its ability to work the diplomatic seams as part of a broader strategy to isolate Washington on the nuclear issues, experts said.

Iran - facing an Oct. 31 deadline to prove its nuclear program is peaceful - reached out to EU heavyweights that favor dialogue with the Islamic rulers. The tougher line favored by Washington suddenly appeared stalled.

"It's been like a boxing match with a powerful, unjust rival trying to sway world opinion," said Iran's president, Mohammad Khatami. "Now it has turned into a marathon run. The world has learned that we have been sincere."

President Bush, in Indonesia, called the Iranian pledges "a very positive development." But he also repeated the accusation that Iran is seeking the ability to make nuclear arms.

Among the many fears of the United States and its allies are Iranian nuclear warheads in range of Israel and a possible nuclear arms race in the Middle East.

Iran insists it seeks only energy and peaceful research from its nuclear program, including a Russian-built reactor expected to begin operation in 2005.

Iran still must convince the International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA, that it has no weapons program. Failure could shift debate to the Security Council, which could impose sanctions.

WASHINGTON - A handful of senior al-Qaida operatives who fled to Iran after the Afghan war may have developed a working relationship with a secretive military unit linked to Iran's religious hard-liners, American counterterrorism officials say.

The U.S. government isn't certain of the extent of the contacts with the Iranian unit, called the Qods Force, say the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The operatives include some of the most senior members of al-Qaida who haven't been captured or killed by the United States and its allies. Their presence in Iran has confounded efforts to knock out the group's remaining top operations chiefs.

But it is unclear whether Iran has them in custody or is letting them operate freely, according to U.S. and allied intelligence services. The Bush administration has called for Iran to detain and hand them over.

On Wednesday, President Bush said it would improve Iranian-U.S. relations "if we end up reaching an agreement on the al-Qaida that they hold."

The men include Saif al-Adil, who is considered the No. 3 man in al-Qaida who is still at large. Another is one of Osama bin Laden's eldest sons, Saad.

Iranian officials have said they have some al-Qaida operatives in custody and plan to turn them over to their home countries. Details are always slim.

U.S. and Saudi officials suspect that the al-Qaida operatives based in Iran coordinated the May bombings of housing complexes in Riyadh that killed 35, including nine bombers.

Complicating matters is the divide between Iran's religious and secular authorities. Officials from the secular government, represented by President Mohammad Khatami, say the government does not support al-Qaida.

But the Qods Force - al-Qaida's possible contact - reports to religious authorities, not Khatami, U.S. intelligence officials say. These is also the possibility of rogue operations within the Iranian government.

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times 490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 Contact the Times | Privacy Policy Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright