US says Ahmadinejad letter deals with history, philosophy and religion; it does not address concerns over Iranian nuclear program

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May 8 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. officials said Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's 18-page letter to President George W. Bush failed to deal with the fundamental nuclear dispute that is now under consideration by the United Nations Security Council.

``It doesn't appear to do anything to address the concerns of the international community'' over uranium enrichment, White House spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters on Air Force One en route today to Florida with Bush. He said Bush has been briefed on the letter, which was conveyed through the Swiss Embassy because the U.S. and Iran have no formal relations.

In New York, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told the Associated Press the letter is not an opening to discuss Iran's nuclear program, which the U.S. describes as an attempt to build a nuclear weapon. Iran says it is exercising its right under a United Nations treaty to use nuclear power for electricity.

The message from Ahmadinejad ``isn't addressing the issues that we're dealing with in a concrete way,'' Rice said, according to AP. She said the letter dealt with history, philosophy and religion.

An Iranian official quoted by the state-run Fars News Agency earlier today characterized the letter from Ahmadinejad as an offer to address tensions.

``In this letter, while analyzing the world situation and pinpointing sources of problems, he has introduced new ways for getting out of the current, fragile international situation,'' government spokesman Gholam Hossein Elham said. The spokesman didn't say whether the letter addresses Iran's nuclear program.

[...]

Ahmadinejad's letter will be made public once Bush receives it, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told the state- run Iranian Students News Agency.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=100...aQ&refer=europe

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

May 8 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. officials said Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's 18-page letter to President George W. Bush failed to deal with the fundamental nuclear dispute that is now under consideration by the United Nations Security Council.

``It doesn't appear to do anything to address the concerns of the international community'' over uranium enrichment, White House spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters on Air Force One en route today to Florida with Bush. He said Bush has been briefed on the letter, which was conveyed through the Swiss Embassy because the U.S. and Iran have no formal relations.

In New York, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told the Associated Press the letter is not an opening to discuss Iran's nuclear program, which the U.S. describes as an attempt to build a nuclear weapon. Iran says it is exercising its right under a United Nations treaty to use nuclear power for electricity.

The message from Ahmadinejad ``isn't addressing the issues that we're dealing with in a concrete way,'' Rice said, according to AP. She said the letter dealt with history, philosophy and religion.

An Iranian official quoted by the state-run Fars News Agency earlier today characterized the letter from Ahmadinejad as an offer to address tensions.

``In this letter, while analyzing the world situation and pinpointing sources of problems, he has introduced new ways for getting out of the current, fragile international situation,'' government spokesman Gholam Hossein Elham said. The spokesman didn't say whether the letter addresses Iran's nuclear program.

[...]

Ahmadinejad's letter will be made public once Bush receives it, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told the state- run Iranian Students News Agency.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=100...aQ&refer=europe

McClellan isn't out yet?