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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
U.S. wants Europe to isolate Iran if U.N. balks
2006-04-23
Originally from the NYT, so who knows if it's true.
WASHINGTON, April 21 — The Bush administration called today for Russia and the countries of Europe to impose their own penalties on Iran over its suspected nuclear arms program if no agreement on sanctions can be reached soon at the United Nations Security Council.
France will refuse to sell aircraft carriers to Iran, Spain won't sell port or oranges, Germany will ban all sales of pork sausage, and the Swiss will return all the Iranian's gold.
"If the Security Council cannot act over a reasonable period of time, then there will be an opportunity for groups of countries to organize themselves together for the purpose of isolating the Iranians diplomatically and economically," said R. Nicholas Burns, under secretary of state for political affairs and the lead envoy on Iran.

He added that "it's not beyond the realm of the possible that at some point in the future a group of countries could get together, if the Security Council is not able to act, to take collective economic action collective action on sanction."
If the Security Council is not able to act ...?
It was not clear that Europeans or the Russians were interested in a sanctions approach without the United Nations Security Council authorizing it, and American and European officials said they still hope the council will move in that direction next month. A European official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the matter, said several European countries would resist the approach of letting countries proceed without an international consensus.
The whole point of the exercise is to let them off the hook, and they jolly well won't volunteer to be on the hook again.
"If one or more countries break off and impose international sanctions, the Iranians would be thrilled," he said. "They would just be able to play countries off against each other. Going for sanctions, that would be a wasted exercise."
Everything is a waste according to the Y'urp-peons. Just ask Sartre and Camus.
Posted by:Steve White

#8  Latin Europe is gone, Germanic Europe is questionable, New Europe is a logistical problem, the Brits better get ready to blow the Chunnel as soon as the last Dane gets through.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2006-04-23 18:44  

#7  We're going to have to save the Dutch again. We can take Belgium too. 'Merka, can you grab the French? Or not. They're a quagmire
Posted by: Canada   2006-04-23 18:39  

#6  North Sea Oil.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2006-04-23 13:02  

#5  #3 How's they going to feed themselves without Euros?
Posted by: gromgoru   2006-04-23 12:47  

#4  "If Europeans hate Americans now, just wait until Iran is attacked. Anti-American hatred will go through the roof."

If their hatred of us was deserved (it isn't), and if Europe mattered much (it doesn't), and if Europe might reasonably be expected to be around much longer (it won't be), then I suppose we could see this as a matter for some concern. Absent these conditions, though, Americans don't really have much reason to care about Europe and its everlasting irrational hatreds. And in fact, most Americans don't.

"That's why Europe won't act, and in fact will most likely obstruct the US in every aspect."

That would be an exceedingly stupid thing to do.

Posted by: Dave D.   2006-04-23 11:38  

#3  Europe is, like, doesn't have a 100 years.

Actually it does, if you consider EUrabia EUropean. By then the EU will have expanded membership to Turkey, Syria/Lebannon,Jordan, Egypt, Libyia Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco, by way of acquisition of Spain and boast a population twice that of the US and approaching that of China.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2006-04-23 10:12  

#2  Ah, rafael. Europe is, like, doesn't have a 100 years.
Posted by: gromgoru   2006-04-23 10:08  

#1  If Europeans hate Americans now, just wait until Iran is attacked. Anti-American hatred will go through the roof. That's why Europe won't act, and in fact will most likely obstruct the US in every aspect. Forget about sanctions.

Off on a tangent: I read a book about 10+ years ago about the Apocalypse where the author claimed the final war before the end of the world would be between Europe and the US. Read it, dismissed it as nonsense, forgot it, threw it out I think. Probably not now, but give it 100 years or so and this could be in the realm of possibility.
Posted by: rafael   2006-04-23 02:23  

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