GERMANY SAYS IRANIAN LETTER ATTACKS ISRAEL

By GEIR MOULSON, Associated Press Writer July 21, 2006

BERLIN - A letter from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to the German chancellor made statements about Israel and the Holocaust that are "not acceptable," the government said Friday.

The letter to Germany, which is among the countries leading diplomatic efforts to resolve concerns over Iran's nuclear program, does not mention that issue, government spokesman Ulrich Wilhelm said. Rather, the letter was devoted largely to criticism of Israel.

"It contains many statements that are not acceptable to us, in particular about Israel, the state of Israel's right to exist and the Holocaust," Wilhelm said.

The letter does not address the current fighting in Lebanon and Israel, he said.

Germany has sharply criticized anti-Israeli comments by Ahmadinejad, who has labeled the Holocaust a myth and called for Israel's destruction.

Merkel said in an interview with ZDF television that Israel's right to exist is a cornerstone of German policy.

"That is repeatedly questioned by him (Ahmadinejad), and at the same time our offer — an offer that really gives the Iranian people a prospect for the future — is not mentioned with a single word," she said.

"That is not right, and so there is no need for a reply," Merkel said.

Denying the Holocaust is a crime in Germany, where it carries a maximum sentence of five years.

Wilhelm said that Berlin would continue supporting multilateral efforts to persuade Iran to suspend its nuclear program.

While Ahmadinejad's letter did not mention Iran's nuclear program, Wilhelm said it noted that there was "a great interest on the part of Iran to achieve cooperation."

Wilhelm did not elaborate on the letter's contents and said the government did not plan to release the text.

Germany and the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council offered a package of incentives to persuade Iran to suspend uranium enrichment — a process that can produce material for atomic weapons as well as fuel for reactors.

The incentives, offered to Tehran on June 6, include advanced technology and the easing of U.S. sanctions on the sale of aircraft and aircraft parts.

Last week, the world powers decided to refer Iran to the U.N. Security Council, saying it had taken too long to reply and had given no sign of wanting to negotiate in earnest over its nuclear ambitions.

On Thursday, Iran's Supreme National Security Council said the Islamic republic would reply Aug. 22 but suggested it was likely to reject the main point of the West's proposals: the imposition of a long-term moratorium on enrichment.

A spokesman for Russia's Foreign Ministry, Mikhail Kamynin, criticized Iran's statement on the incentives, saying it contained no new ideas or signs that Tehran was ready for constructive talks, news agencies reported Friday.

In May, Ahmadinejad sent an 18-page letter to President Bush that also did not address the nuclear issue and was dismissed promptly by Washington.

While that letter marked a diplomatic overture, it was laced with old grievances against the United States and spelled out a long list of Iranian demands.