US urges Iran to consider intl nuke proposals

Washington, June 3: Iran has weeks, not months, to respond to the proposals from the international community to resolve the diplomatic impasse over the nuclear issue, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said.

Urging Iran to give careful consideration to an international package of incentives for halting its uranium enrichment activities, Rice said, ''They need to make a choice and the international community needs to know whether negotiation is a real option or not.'' Rice made these comments in Vienna, where she has been meeting with officials of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany.

While stressing the need for a timely response, Rice, however, appeared to warn against any negative reaction from Tehran.

Appearing on the US television network CBS' ''Early Show'', she said, ''We certainly hope that Iran will take a few days to think over a very serious proposal'' adding that it was a proposal that is not just an American proposal ''but a proposal that the international community is offering Iran as a way out of this impasse''.

Secretary Rice said the package of financial and technological incentives being offered to Iran also have a flip-side as penalties would follow if the Islamic nation rejected the offer.

Meanwhile, officials refused to reveal the details of the package being offered to Iran as Tehran has to have some time to consider it.

''Because of the nature of the diplomacy and because of the delicate aspect of the negotiations that will now ensue with Iran, I am not going to be giving you the details of the package that was agreed to,'' Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns has said in Vienna.

Iranian officials have welcomed the prospect of direct US talks to give a fillip to the stalled European-led talks over Iran's nuclear programme, but the government in Tehran has not yet come out with an official response to the international proposal.

Speaking on NBC's ''Today'' programme, Rice also said, ''Iran now has two paths before it. One is a path that would give Iran considerable benefits, including civil nuclear power.

The other, though, is a path that goes to the Security Council again, and can use the full weight of the Council to isolate Iran.'' A civil nuclear power programme would be central to any future negotiations, as Iranian officials consistently have claimed that this is the sole aim of their nuclear research activities. During the past year, however, Iran has rejected offers from both the EU-3 and Russia that would have provided it with nuclear power facilities but avoiding the proliferation risk of having uranium enrichment on Iranian soil.

Denying that the international proposal constitutes an ultimatum to Tehran, Rice said the initiative for maintaining progress in nuclear negotiations now lies with Iran and the decision it has to make.

''There is not an ultimatum here,'' she said. ''But there is a choice and the international community needs to know if Iran intends to negotiate seriously.'' Iran has been at loggerheads with the international community over its nuclear programme since January, when it ended a 14-month moratorium on its uranium enrichment activities and abandoned talks with EU-3 -- United Kingdom, France and Germany.

Foreign ministers of the United Kingdom, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States met in Vienna June 1 to draw up detailed plans for two possible courses of action with regard to the Islamic nation. One is to consider the benefits in the package offered and the other is to go before the UN Security Council.

UNI