Anger as Iranian Minister ignores Holocaust query
Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Manouchehr Mottaki failed to speak out about the Holocaust in Vienna yesterday (Sun).Mottaki met with Austrian Peoples Party (ÖVP) Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger for talks in which Austria warned the Iranian regime of possible sanctions by the United Nations (UN) over the countrys controversial uranium enrichment programme.Asked by an Israeli journalist what he thought about the Holocaust, Mottaki caused some moments of embarrassing silence at a final press conference by refusing to answer.Dozens of activists of the “Stop the Bomb” organisation demonstrated in front of the foreign ministry against the meeting.”If Iran will not cooperate over its nuclear programme, sanctions will be the consequence,” Spindelegger warned.Mottaki claimed his country did not violate any international law. He said: “In contrast to the regime in Tel Aviv [Israel], Iran did not do anything wrong.”Spindelegger who was criticised for meeting his Iranian counterpart said he would inform his European Union (EU) colleagues about details of their discussions at todays council of foreign ministers.The minister dismissed reports the United States were “aghast” about the meeting. Spindelegger explained he had not received such a reaction when he phoned US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.