Posted on 11/08/2005 9:33:19 PM PST by F14 Pilot
When the International Atomic Energy Agency convenes in Vienna later this month, it will be under intense pressure to take action against Irans nuclear program. Since the last IAEA meeting in September, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called for Israel to be wiped off the map, his scientists are threatening to produce weapons-grade uranium and Tehrans talks with E.U. representatives on the nuclear issue remain deadlocked.
All this has led to international calls for steps to stop Iran going nuclear.
The most likely IAEA action will be to refer Iran?s violations of its nuclear commitments to the U.N. Security Council, a move that could result in stringent economic sanctions. But for that to happen, China and Russia, as permanent members of the Security Council with veto powers, would have to go along. So far, it?s not clear that they would.
In Israel, there have been calls for a more assertive anti-Iranian policy in the wake of Ahmadinejads call for Israels destruction. And while Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz is careful to say Israel is not considering any military option today, he does not rule out a military strike in the future if diplomacy fails.
I believe we should make our best effort to achieve the maximum we could achieve by diplomatic channels, before thinking about other channels, Mofaz said in a recent interview with Newsweek.
Calling Iran to account for its nuclear plans will not be easy.
Battered and bruised by the war in Iraq, the Bush administration has no stomach for a direct confrontation with another huge Muslim state. Moreover, it?s relying on Shiite Iran to help set up a Shi?ite-dominated democracy in Iraq.
The United States therefore would prefer to sit back and watch the three main players in the European Union Britain, Germany and France negotiate an agreement
(Excerpt) Read more at jta.org ...
Didn't someone define diplomacy as the art of saying "nice doggie" until you can find a big enough rock?
With all muslims:
They will eventually kill you if you don't kill them first.
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