Security Council to give Iran choice between incentives, sanctions

Despite the offer, a strong message still needs to be sent, a U.S. official said.
UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- Key Security Council nations agreed Tuesday to present Iran with a choice of incentives or sanctions in deciding whether to suspend uranium enrichment, a move which will delay a U.N. resolution to curb Iran's nuclear program, a European official said.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice stressed, however, that the decision could not be a substitute for a strong message to Iran from the Security Council "that their behavior to date is unacceptable, and that they need to return to the negotiating table."
At a meeting Tuesday, representatives of the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France as well as Germany agreed to tell Iran the possible consequences of its refusal to halt its enrichment program and the benefits if it abandons it.
Representatives from the three European countries that had been spearheading negotiations with Iran will now spend the next few days preparing a package of incentives and sanctions, the European official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because there has been no official announcement.
The official said the package will be presented to European Union foreign ministers on the sidelines of an EU meeting in Brussels on Monday, and if approved will be presented to the Iranian government. But EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said "Monday may be a little bit too early."
Rice told reporters the United States "has long supported" an effort by Russia and the EU to let the Iranians know how they can fulfill their aspirations for a civilian nuclear program.
"What is being discussed is how might that be made available again," she said.
"But I want to be very clear: The international community is united that there must be a strong message to Iran through the Security Council" that it must halt uranium enrichment and comply with demands by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. nuclear watchdog.
The proposed resolution would make the council's previous demand that Iran fulfill these requirements mandatory.
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