Rohani: Iran nuclear aims not meant to be exposed.

Rohani: Iran nuclear aims not meant to be exposed.(JPost).

UNITED NATIONS - Years before he became Iran's president-elect, Hassan Rohani spoke approvingly about concealing his nation's nuclear program and said that when Pakistan got atomic bombs and Brazil began enriching uranium, "the world started to work with them."

The comments offer an intriguing window into the past thinking of Rohani, widely seen as a moderate or pragmatic conservative, whose surprise victory in weekend elections to succeed President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was perceived by the United States and other Western powers as positive - at least at first glance.

Rohani has said he intends to pursue constructive interaction with the world and "more active" negotiations over Iran's nuclear program, after his predecessor's belligerence was met with painful international sanctions and military threats from Israel and the United States..

Rohani, who in later years criticized Ahmadinejad for his confrontational approach to the nuclear issue, spoke in 2004 in favor of a quiet and calculating strategy with the West. He recommended accepting an enrichment freeze as negotiated with Britain, France and Germany - the "EU3" - and ending it at some point.

"I think we should not be in a great rush to deal with this issue," he said. "We should be patient and find the most suitable time to do away with the suspension." "If we decide to start enrichment in the face of opposition by the West, we must find the best time and the most favorable conditions, and if we decide to work with the West, we must utilize all our capabilities and everything that is in our power to achieve our objectives," he said. "We should not rush into this. We must move very carefully, in a very calculated manner." In a 2006 speech quoted in Kane's article, Rohani described Ahmadinejad's move in that same year to begin enriching uranium against the wishes of Western powers as "some success," but noted that that "we have been forced to pay a hefty price."Hmmmm......Yup completely in line with 'the hidden imam' story.Read the full story here.