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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Iran calls for UN action against the US |
| 2006-05-02 |
| Iran denounced the United States on Monday for contemplating possible nuclear strikes against Iranian targets and urged the United Nations to take urgent action against what it called a dangerous violation of international law. In a letter to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan obtained by The Associated Press, Iran's U.N. Ambassador Javad Zarif called President Bush's refusal to rule out a U.S. nuclear strike on Iran and a similar follow-up statement by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice "illegal and insolent threats." Bush was asked on April 18 whether U.S. options regarding Iran "include the possibility of a nuclear strike" if Tehran refuses to halt uranium enrichment. "All options are on the table," the president replied, but he stressed that the United States will continue to focus on diplomacy. Iran insists it is legally entitled under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty to enrich uranium to provide fuel for civilian power plants but the United States suspects its real aim is to produce nuclear weapons, a view backed by Britain and France. Zarif said the use of "false pretexts" by senior U.S. officials "to make public and illegal threats of resort to force against the Islamic Republic of Iran is continuing unabated in total contempt of international law and fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter." The "U.S. aggressive policy" of contemplating the possible use of nuclear weapons also violates the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and other U.S. multilateral agreements, he said. Zarif's letter made no mention of recent threats by Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to wipe Israel "off the map." Instead, the Iranian ambassador honed in on statements from U.S. officials, especially from Bush, which he said "defiantly articulate the United States policies and intentions on the resort to nuclear weapons." Zarif said past U.N. failures to respond "to these illegal and inexcusable threats have emboldened senior United States officials to go further and even consider the use of nuclear weapons as an `option on the table.'" In a brief statement responding to the letter, U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said "if Iran wants to be treated differently, then Iran should stop pursuing nuclear weapons and give up terrorism." The secretary-general had no immediate comment on the letter, said Marie Okabe, a U.N. spokeswoman. After lengthy negotiations, the U.N. Security Council adopted a statement a month ago demanding that Iran stop enriching uranium. A new report Friday from the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. nuclear watchdog, confirmed what the world already knew: Iran has refused to stop enriching uranium. The United States, Britain and France immediately announced plans to introduce a new Security Council resolution this week which would make Iran's compliance with their demands mandatory. To intensify pressure, they want the resolution under Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter which means it can be enforced through sanctions or military action. China and Russia, the two other council members with veto power, oppose sanctions and military action and want the Iran nuclear issue resolved diplomatically, with the IAEA taking the lead, not the Security Council. Iran's top nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, reiterated Monday that Tehran was "ready for any kind of negotiation to achieve our rights" and again called for Iran's dispute with the international community to be returned to the IAEA, rather than taken up by the Security Council. He spoke on the eve of a meeting in Paris of political directors from the six countries that have been trying to find a diplomatic solution to the standoff - Britain, France, Germany, the United States, Russia and China. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #12 100-plus = 3000 = 40,000 = ........@centrifuges > Its only Uranium, NOT Plutonium. NO WMDS IN IRAN. Defective, Error-prone = wilful Imperialist Warmonger, Male Brute, Rightist-led Clintonian [Left]Socialist Americans made yet another anti-Motherly mistake. OR DID WE -BWAHAHAHAHA......!? |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2006-05-02 22:21 |
| #11 Nothing could build U.S. support for taking action against Iran than doind EXACTLY what has been recommended. Get this on the floor ASAP, and let Bolton defend the U.S. postion by simply quoted what MadMouth has said in the last few months. |
| Posted by: Mike N. 2006-05-02 17:32 |
| #10 Prrime real estate for lease at turtle bay. |
| Posted by: closedanger 2006-05-02 12:33 |
| #9 Iran insists it is legally entitled under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty to enrich uranium to provide fuel for civilian power plants but the United States suspects its real aim is to produce nuclear weapons, a view backed by Britain and France. Someone needs to sprout a set and make it crystal clear how nations that threaten to wipe other countries "off of the map" do not get to play with nuclear toys at any time. Play nice or get stuffed. Simple as that. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2006-05-02 12:23 |
| #8 I'm with NS on this one. Let's get this one on the agenda ASAP. Then the American people can truly see what a farce the UN really is. Anyone who has Syria (not to mention China) as head of the Human Rights Commission, as well as recently appointing Iran to be head of the Disarmament Commission is a freakin' waste of time. Getting this on the agenda (have Iran call for sanctions on the US) and shouting what Ahdimijad's been yelling (a'la Hitler) the last few months would be the best thing Bolton could do right now. |
| Posted by: BA 2006-05-02 12:06 |
| #7 Bulldoze the entire structure and turn it into a park with dog walks. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2006-05-02 11:37 |
| #6 Boot their cars until they pay their parking tickets. |
| Posted by: ed 2006-05-02 11:33 |
| #5 File a counter complaint listing Mahmoud's "belligerant" statements of recent weeks and monthes. Propose a resolution declaring Iran an "outlaw" regime. Flatten their tires in the parking garage. I thought John Bolton was supposed to crack the whip. |
| Posted by: jim#6 2006-05-02 11:28 |
| #4 Mongo no break law. No law for Mongo break... |
| Posted by: mojo 2006-05-02 11:07 |
| #3 Put it on tomorrow's agenda. Let's get this UN farce over with. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2006-05-02 10:31 |
| #2 put it on the May '09 agenda |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-05-02 10:18 |
| #1 We always keep "all options on the table. Std boilerplate." |
| Posted by: 3dc 2006-05-02 02:21 |