| Submit your comments on this article |
| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Russia Will Not Allow Iran Referral to Security Council |
| 2005-10-15 |
| US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice failed Saturday to persuade Russia to offer new support for a hard line on Iran's disputed nuclear program, during a hastily arranged trip to the Russian capital. Rice wanted Russian cooperation as the United States and its European allies try either to draw Iran back to diplomatic talks or invoke the threat of punishment from the powerful UN Security Council. Despite lengthy meetings with Russian officials, including a long session alone with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, it was clear Russia had not changed its opposition to using the Security Council. The Iranian nuclear question can be handled through the UN nuclear watchdog agency, which is already monitoring nuclear activities in Iran, Lavrov told reporters afterward. "We think that the current situation permits us to develop this issue and do everything possible within the means of this organization, without referring this issue to other organizations now," Lavrov said. Rice said the UN Security Council "remains an option" if Iran does not cooperate. "We've said all along there remains time for negotiations if Iran is prepared to negotiate in good faith," Rice told reporters. The International Atomic Energy Agency last month passed a resolution warning Tehran it would be referred to the Security Council unless it allayed international fears about its nuclear program. Russia handed the United States a subtle diplomatic victory last month when it abstained, rather than vote against that measure. Lavrov appeared to dash US hopes for a Russian "yes" vote when the IAEA next meets on Nov. 24, but it is not clear whether Russia would actively block the move. Iran says its nuclear activities, some of which are carried out with Russian cooperation, are intended to produce electricity, not weapons. The United States claims Iran is hiding a bomb-making project behind the shield of a legitimate energy program. Rice also could not sway Russia on the related question of whether Iran has a right, as it insists, to enrich uranium. Enrichment is a possible step toward weapons development and the United States and European allies are determined to keep Iran from having full nuclear know-how. Under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, which Iran signed, "nations have that right," Lavrov said. He added that Iran must not violate the arms pact, which is intended to allow peaceful use of nuclear energy under strict controls but to stop international spread of nuclear weapons and technology. Rice was also to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin before flying to Britain for further talks on Iran and other Middle East issues. She was in Paris on Friday for similar consultations. France, Britain and Germany have led an effort to offer economic incentives for Iran to drop the disputed portions of its nuclear program. Iran's new hard-line government walked away from talks and has resumed nuclear activities it suspended during negotiations. The United States is expected to make a strong push to bring Iran before the UN Security Council. Russia and China, both allies of Iran and permanent members of the Security Council, could block economic sanctions or other tough punishment, if the case gets that far. Iran has said it has nothing to fear from the Security Council, presumably out of confidence that Russia and China would veto a tough proposal for punishment from the United States or the Europeans. Rice's discussions on Iran come at a sensitive time. Iran has indicated a willingness to return to negotiations, but not to drop what it calls its right to full nuclear know-how. Iran's supreme leader also may be trying to undercut the authority of Iran's new hard-line government. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei recently strengthened the powers of Expediency Council chief Hashemi Rafsanjani, a former president who lost to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in June's elections. He recently criticized the handling of Iran's nuclear issue by Ahmadinejad's government. |
| Posted by:lotp |
| #9 You can't part Russia from a hard-currency deal - and I presume MM promises for many more. Okay, it's a straight proposition then. How much? |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-10-15 18:50 |
| #8 Lol, dj66 - I suggested that same thing not long ago - we be havin the same wavelength, bro, lol. |
| Posted by: .com 2005-10-15 14:08 |
| #7 "reduce our funding" |
| Posted by: .com 2005-10-15 10:07 |
| #6 The same Russian game played well during the run-up to the Iraq War, so they've trotted it out again. The real lessons are all obvious: 1) You can't part Russia from a hard-currency deal - and I presume MM promises for many more. 2) UN Agencies are led by asstards nominated and approved by the General Assembly. They are toothless and pointless babble-generators. Using the term "watchdog" is, in a word, hysterical. If we had the power to veto any of these absurd examples, IAEA, UNHRC, et al, I presume we would've done so when the opportunity arose. 3) The UN is DEAD. It's fatally flawed, broken, usurped, taken-over, worthless. We absolutely should reduce out funding to match our influence... say 191th of the budget plus, oh, a buck fifty, maybe two bucks, for the UNSC seat. Mr Prez, please use the next 3 yrs to extract us from the heavy burden of supporting an organization run by people out to destroy America. Please? Go ahead and check off the remaining boxes. You got the right guy to do the job, there. Keep the membership, veto everything that comes along, pay the above mentioned amount, and ignore the entire lot of toolfools. Sure, they'll go apeshit. Doesn't matter. Your legislative agenda is dead. Dead as hell, with Katrina, Donk vitriol, gutless RINOs, back-stabbing cowards of every stripe. All you can do is what is within the Executive's direct purview and whatever actionable warrants you already possess from previous legislative votes. Concentrate on making those things work for us and bury the rest of it in a grand ceremony. Tell the public why - in plain speak. Decide to seal our borders - period - embrace the Minutemen and apologize to them. Then support them 100% as well as the Border Patrol. Demand cooperation - or the heads of every asshole in the Border Patrol and Law Enforcement who doesn't understand who and what America is all about. The Minutemen are perfectly named - and proof America's core is alive and well. Make it happen. Kill the Mad Mullahs and cripple their nuke and regional hegemony ambitions - if the Persians want to help, fine... and it's fine if not, too. This is about US security. Job 1. Stomp the shit out of Syria - and apologize to Sharon for holding them back so many times - we'll support that. Slam the Saudis for every act and non-act - going back to '73 when they turned the oil war on us for saving Israel's ass. Do it. Despite the MSM deluge of lies, the abandonment by perfidious allies, the Moonbat outrage, the Tranzi attempts to derail you - despite all of it, you see another victory, another confirmation of your efforts and strategic vision in Iraq, not to mention Afghanistan. It's working, in spite of the attempts to trip you, undermine you, blackmail you, make you fail. Keep pluggin. Save as many of us as you can - as fast as you can. Please. And Thanks for all you've already done. It's an amazing list - and there can be much more if you use the next 3 years wisely and well. |
| Posted by: .com 2005-10-15 10:06 |
| #5 ..or invoke the threat of punishment from the powerful UN Security Council. Not likely to happen anytime soon, if at all. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2005-10-15 18:20 |
| #4 Here's hoping the first Iranian nuclear missile is launched against Russian forces in Chechnya. With all their glorified scientists and mathematicians, one would think that the Russians had a somewhat better understanding of Cause & Effect than Turkey, Iran or Pakistan's civil engineers. If America undergoes an Iranian sponsored nuclear terrorist attack, Russia should be the immediate recipient of several Intercontinental Ballastic Thank-You Notes. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2005-10-15 15:29 |
| #3 The Russians are stupid, they are still going to sell them the stuff anyway, so why not send it to the security council then have the sanction put in. Then charge the Iranians 15 times the price originally going to sell it for. :) |
| Posted by: djohn66 2005-10-15 12:17 |
| #2 Danielle, don't count on Britain. Only Oz can be counted on. |
| Posted by: Angatle Ominter5705 2005-10-15 11:52 |
| #1 Maybe even Russia sees how useless the UN has been but Iran and NK don't even have the basic desire for self-preservation. Japan, Britain, Israel, and the US may need to knock some sense into the rest of the world that seems to not have any with some more "Shock and Awe". Just don't forewarn them so far in advance they have time to hide and protect their assets. |
| Posted by: Danielle 2005-10-15 10:12 |