BERLIN-Saying that negotiations had reached a dead end, France, Germany and Britain announced Thursday that they wanted Iran's nuclear development activities to be taken to the United Nations Security Council, adding new pressure on Iran to reverse its decision to do research that could develop the technology to create nuclear weapons.
"From our point of view, the time has come for the UN Security Council to become involved," Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier of Germany said at a press conference after meeting here with his French and British counterparts and the European foreign policy chief, Javier Solana. They were reacting to Iran's decision to resume experiments at a nuclear enrichment plant in Natanz.
1. What is the UN going to do?
I mean let's be realistic here, I would be hard-pressed to believe that the UNSC would authorize anything too harsh, even if found to be in violation.
2. What about China?
Will they side with Iran or the EU and US? Or will they support economic sanctions, for the sole purpose of running their goods through the backdoor, a la Oil for Food?
3. Are Europeans truly ready to up the ante?
Are they truly willing to risk the potential consequences, in exchange for doing what is right? Or, will they back down when the backlash finally hits? Because there will most certainly, be a backlash.
These are some serious questions that must be asked. And answered.
6 comments:
Hey LA:
You are invited to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the first Inauguration of President Ronald Reagan, January 20, 2006.
It will be a great chance to reflect on where we have been, the lessons we have learned and where we are going as a nation.
http://mikesamerica.blogspot.com/2006/01/next-week-we-celebrate-beginning-of.html
You're welcome to use the image from the post in any manner you see fit and to invite any others who may wish to participate.
Let me know if you want to participate and I will put you on the "A" list.
Buzzimp,
I disagree. Even if your figures were correct, Saddam killed those kids. The corrupt Oil For Food Program killed those kids.
When the US and EU3 take this issue to the UN Security Council, it is necessary to persuade Russia and China to get involved. Iran is a gateway to Central Asia, and a vital concern to Russia.
Also, India and Japan need to consider stopping big resource projects in Iran.
buzzimp and LA,
I think the Iran issue should be used by the Bush administration as a showcase why the United Nations is worthless and needs to either be disbanded or knocked down to "social club" status. Today the UN does nothing to solve any world problems because the interests of the Security Council members are almost always in conflict.
That in itself is not a problem. The problem is that much of the world either does or pretends to take the UN seriously. The leftist media sure pretends like they take them seriously.
The two status points of impotent and taken seriously can only exist in a leftist Xanadu media. One or the other must go in the real world. Iran is the vehicle to do just that and Condi seems to realize that.
AICS,
I think you are right, in the sense that, many that sit on the fence will see the folly and the toothless nature of the UN. However, it's not likely that the hardcore left will ever see anything but what MoveOn.Org tells them to see.
Ask those people today, and they will tell you that sanctions were working on Iraq, before we went in. So if sanctions were leveled against Iran, you could safely bet, their re-evaluation process (of those sanctions) would be slow and skewed.
Shah,
As always, you have a handle on the answers. But the question remains how do we get there? How do we get China to take this seriously, when they have become so dependent on Iranian oil?
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