Rice to Eurotrash on Iran: "Can't We All Just Get Along"

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has called on Europe to show "unity of purpose" with Washington in opposing Iran's nuclear programme.

"Diplomacy can work" in resolving tensions over Tehran's nuclear ambitions, she said after talks with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.

But Iran had to show it was prepared to live up to its obligations, she said.
The EU has tried to negotiate with Tehran over its nuclear activities, but the US has urged a tougher stance. Earlier in London, Ms Rice - on her first overseas tour as US secretary of state - insisted that attacking Iran was not on the US agenda "at this point in time". But in a BBC interview to be shown on Sunday's Breakfast with Frost programme, Ms Rice had tough words for Iran, which she described as a "chief funder of terrorism". When pressed by reporters on why a tougher stance was better than providing incentives to the Iranians as the EU has tried to do, Rice swiftly responded " We will not hand out gifts or rewards to a terrorist supporting nation in an effort to get them to do what they know they must, unless they were interested in trading some Persian rugs for France, in which case we'd be willing to talk".