OF THE
TIMES
"She is completely furious," the official said."This is a major, major crisis .... There needs to be an apology. It needs to be public. Without that, it's basically impossible for her to go to Washington in October," the official continued.
In return, Iran requested the following:
- Iran would use its influence to support stabilization in Iraq.
- Iran would open its civilian nuclear energy program to full international inspections.
- Most importantly, Iran would end its support of Hamas and Hezbollah.
Then U.S. Vice-President Dick Cheney turned down the offer and chastised the Swiss for even passing it along.
- A halt to US hostile behavior.
- Abolition of all economic sanctions.
- The pursuit of MEK (an Iranian terrorist group in Iraq) leadership and the repatriation of their members.
"America and Israel had al-Qaeda use chemical weapons in order to push us into war; none of us wants war here. In the history of Hatay, we all lived peacefully side by side, now there is Mossad, CIA and al-Qaeda all over the place. We are worried that they might use chemical weapons against us," said Farid Mainy, a Hatay resident and an activist.