European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 27, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Pages stars and stripes tuesday March 27 2007 Ahn South korean students occupy the Road during a rally against free Trade talks in front of the us embassy in Seoul on sunday protesters March ahead of us Trade talks in Seoul by Kelly Olsen the associated press Seoul thousands of South koreans took to the streets Sun Day to denounce a proposed free Trade agreement Between their country and the United states just Days ahead of a deadline for negotiators to strike a Deal South korean and us officials have until the end of this week to reach an agreement planned High level negotiations in Seoul beginning monday Are aimed at closing gaps in automobiles Agri culture and other contentious is sues that have defied Resolution Over almost 10 months of talks protesters from labor farm and student groups carrying flags and banners some snaking through narrow streets and occasionally scuffling with riot police gathered by late afternoon in front of the heavily guarded us embassy blocking traffic on souls main downtown Street the protesters also within sight of the building housing South Korea ministry of for eign affairs and Trade listened to speeches and chanted slogans before dispersing peacefully after dark the National police Agency estimated that about 7000 people took to the streets of Seoul a total of 15000 riot police were deployed yen television reported demonstrators had gathered earlier in front of Seoul City Hall for a protest sponsored by the opposition democratic labor party Stop the South koreans fat the crowd chanted later setting fire to a paper cow representing us beef South Korea and the United states have been trying since june to strike a Deal which officials say would boost economic ties Between two countries that Al ready do More than billion in Trade protests in South Korea have dogged the negotiations since they began opponents fear an in flux of cheaper us goods will harm livelihoods and Cost jobs i think the fat will make it easier to fire workers said Kim Yuri a sociology major at elite Seoul National University who was protesting sunday the two governments need to wrap up an agreement by Satur Day because of the approaching end of president Bush Trade promotion authority which Al lows him to Send Trade agree ments to Congress for straight yes Orno votes without Amend ments even if a Deal is struck this week votes to ratify it Are not expected for months South korean lawmakers also would need to approve any final Deal South Korea the worlds lot biggest Economy is the Sev ent largest trading partner of the United states if successful it would be the biggest such Accord for washing ton since the North american free Trade agreement in 1993 Blair denies claim that us troops were in Iran water by Paul Ames the associated press prime min ister Tony Blair said sunday that the 15 British sailors and marines captured by Iran As they searched for smugglers off the iraqi coast were not in iranian Waters and warned that Britain viewed their Fate As a fundamental Issue the group was seized at gun Point on Friday and the foreign office in London said British officials do not know where Iran is holding them it is simply not True that they went into iranian territorial Waters Blair said at a news Confer ence in Berlin calling the Situa Tion very serious i want to get it resolved in As easy and diplomatic a Way As pos sible he said but added he hoped the iranians understood How fundamental an Issue this is for the British government report us struck at near Border in 06 us news and world re port citing a us army report out of Iraq said the capture of the British Somers a snot the first Token Western forces Jay Surprise ii the Border flows Maga Zine american droops work ing with Raqi Borde guards within Iraq Wence attacked Bojt much larger 4ramafllnmi1ary unit in september us news said no americans Hurt in the incident but four iraqi soldiers an interpreter and an iraqi Border policeman re main missing from the associated press Blairs comment follows Brit ish and european Union de mands for Iran to release the 15 who were seized at gunpoint in disputed Waters Between Iran and Iraq on Friday Britain and the United states have said the sailors and marines had just completed a search of a civilian vessel in the iraqi part of the Shaft Alarab waterway when they were intercepted by the Ira Nian Navy Iran however says they illegally entered iranian Waters iranian state television reported that its foreign ministry called in British ambassador Geoffrey Adams to protest the illegal entry Britain disputed the iranian account saying the meet ing was called at the ambassadors request the capture and detention of the British service personnel risks escalating an already fraught relationship Between Iran and the West the British foreign office said requests for Access to the 15 britons had been denied and officials did not know where they were being held citing bullying from in Iran partially suspends cooperation by Nasser Karimi the associated press Tehran Iran Iran announced sunday that it was partially suspending cooperation with the in nuclear watchdog Agency citing the illegal and bul lying in Security Council sanctions imposed on the country for its refusal to Stop enriching uranium Gholam Hossein Elham a government spokes Man told state television that the suspension would continue until Iran nuclear Case is referred Back to the Iaea from the in Security Council in new York iranian foreign minister Manouchehr Motoaki said a few select countries dont have the right to abuse the Security Council the Security Council has to be aware of its own position and status actions that Are illegal Unwar ranted and or justified will reduce the credibility of the Security Council he said in persian through a translator he said Iran has repeatedly sought negotiations with the Powers that drafted the Resolution against the islamic Republic the five permanent Council members the us Britain France Russia and China and Germany but he accused those coun tries of lacking the political will to reach a break through if this political will existed the other Side  have imposed preconditions on the talks Motoaki said referring to demands by the us and its allies that Iran first halt enrichment before they engage in negotiations on its nuclear program he said the world has two options to proceed on the nuclear Issue continued negotiations or Confron tation choosing the path of confrontation will have its own consequences he said without elaborating Elham said the iranian Cabinet decided sunday to suspend code 13 of minor arrangements of the safeguards with the International atomic Energy Agency the provision members to inform the Iaea of any new Steps and decisions made concerning a country nuclear program the Security Council sanctions which Send a Strong message that Iran Defiance will leave it increasingly isolated and warn of even harsher penal ties ahead were immediately rejected by Iran which said it had no intention of suspending its enrichment program the country claims it needs the uranium enrich ment for electricity generating purposes while the United states and its allies fear the program is used for nuclear arms making Iran measure is a response to saturday nights illegal and bullying Resolution by the Security coun cil Elham said the government was acting fully within iranian Law in deciding to revise its cooperation with the Iaea officials with the in Agency were not answering cell phones sunday evening on Calls seeking com ment on the iranian decision us official trying to untangle n Korea Cash the associated press senior us trea sury department official arrived in Beijing on sunday to try to untangle a dispute Over North Kore an funds Frozen in a Macau Bank that led to a breakdown in talks Over Pyongyang nuclear pro Gram Daniel Glaser Deputy assistant Secretary for terrorist financing and financial crimes is set to meet chinese officials to discuss the Frozen Money held at Banco Delta Asia a Bank in the chinese territory of Macau North Korea refused to participate in six nation disarmament talks that started March 19 until the million in Frozen funds were released the us has agreed to let the Money be transferred to a North korean account at the Bank of China account in Beijing but its release was delayed by the Chi Nese Banks concerns about accepting Money that had been linked to counterfeiting and Money laundering Glaser declined to comment when he arrived at brings inter National Airport but said in a statement before he left washing ton that the policy and diplomatic issues have been solved this is now Down to implementation