UNITED NATIONS - The Security Council is set to vote Monday to marginally tighten UN sanctions against Iran over its refusal to freeze sensitive nuclear fuel work. The 15-member council was scheduled to hold consultations from 10:30 a.m. (1530 GMT) Monday ahead of the vote to adopt a third sanctions resolution which was slightly amended by its Western sponsors late Friday.The vote, initially planned for Saturday, was delayed until Monday to give the sponsors more time to try to win over four reticent council members: Indonesia, Libya, South Africa and Vietnam, which have questioned the need for new sanctions. The four non-aligned countries see the sanctions as counter-productive, fearing they might push the Islamic republic to break off cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN nuclear watchdog.
Adoption of the text is a foregone conclusion as it has already been endorsed by the five veto-wielding members of the council — Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States — plus Germany.
| So why worry about the four remaining 'non-aligned' countries? Tell 'em to get with the program. |