AUDIO: Sanctions or Pro-Reform Force

Iran threatens retaliative strikes as it
threatens to withdraw from IAEA relations:~~~~click-on-photograph-(will open to another window)AUDIO
-MOVING TOWARD SANCTIONS-Excellent audio; listen through to the end!
N.Y. Traders- and continuing oil ciaos- 4-27-06Threats: "I have clearly said that if you impose sanctions, Iran will suspend its relations with the IAEA," he said. "This is what you will get [by imposing sanctions]. Will it help this problem? If you are seekingto put Iran within the framework [of international law] because of itsnuclear case, you should reach an agreement on this framework with Iran. You cannot design a framework for us by force."-Ali Larijani

~Rice Cuts Trip Short...(see Turkey briefing- below)
Prague (RFE/RL)U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Riceexpressed her displeasure with Tehran'sstance in (above) remarks today; in Athens... Rice response:
"I think that what the Iranian statements do is to further
Iran's isolation from the international community," she said...
"Threatening the international community, that you will walk
out of treaty obligations, that you'll throw the IAEA out
because the world demands that you demonstrate that your
nuclear programs are, indeed, peaceful and not on the way to
a nuclear weapon, is very emblematic of the kind of Iranian
behavior that we've seen over the past couple of years."-Rice~~~~~~~~~~-Incidentally: U S Dollar- EuroStatement: Russian financial advisor: Alexei KudrinWASHINGTON, April 21-Novosti - Russia cannot consider the dollar as a reliable reserve currency because of its instability, the finance minister said Friday. "This currency has devalued by 40% againstthe euro in recent years," Alexei Kudrin told a news conference inWashington on the occasion of the opening spring session of theInternational Monetary Fund...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NOTE:Today's Briefing in Turkey-(From above)
With Rice approval of Turkey’s attitude towards the Cyprus issue,Rice also pledged a thorough investigation on possible “legal”channels to end isolation policies on the administration inNorth Cyprus... (A cold shoulder was read in the capital, asthey printed that Rice issued an ultimatum to the administrationin Southern Cyprus not to impede Turkey’s advancement towards the E.U.
Personal Perspective
Turkey meeting: A restive Turkish Kurdistan, could
strengthen Islamist forces in Turkey, destabilizing Turkish
Democracy and weakening the secular traditions of Kemal Ataturk,
pulling Turkey even further from the possibility of EU membership,
giving rise to the demand for an Islamist Turkey, if not, hopefully,
for a revival of the Khilafat (Caliphate) abolished by Kemal
Ataturk in 1920. A Turkish civil war on the lines of what
happened in Algeria, cannot be ruled out entirely.~~~~~~
Linked with: Basil's: Articles of InterestThursday at: Jo's CafeBlogs for Condi: Interview With Sean HannityAmerican's: For Dr. Rice