Posted on 12/18/2005 8:01:23 PM PST by Flavius
WASHINGTON: Faced with an increasingly hard line from Iran, the United States and Europe have stepped up planning for tougher diplomatic action should Tehran follow through on threats to resume critical nuclear activities, according to US officials and European diplomats.
The US and its European allies are seeking agreement among themselves on precisely when Iran’s nuclear programme will have progressed to the point that the matter should be taken to the UN Security Council and what kinds of sanctions might be pursued there, the officials and diplomats said. Tehran insists it only aims to produce civilian nuclear energy. Allies say the programme is to produce weapons.
Russia, which is building Iran’s nuclear power plant at Bushehr in southern Iran, remains a serious impediment. The United States fears that weapons grade plutonium could be extracted from the Bushehr reactor once it goes on line.
The United States and major European nations, Britain, France and Germany, have long threatened to bring the issue to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions. But negotiations appear at an impasse and new Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has alarmed the world with aggressive calls for Israel to be "wiped off the map." "Increasingly, we feel the Iranians are just not interested in any sort of privately negotiated solution to this problem, that what they are interested in is a political confrontation over it," one European diplomat told Reuters.
Under the nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, which Iran signed, member states are guaranteed the right to develop a full nuclear fuel cycle but are banned from making weapons. The Bush administration is under growing pressure from Congress and pro-Israel groups to soften its stance toward Tehran. They want the nuclear issue referred to the UN Security Council, where sanctions could be imposed.
US Undersecretary of State Robert Joseph, who oversees non-proliferation issues, was in Europe this week for meetings that included discussions on Iran.
US and European experts are to meet Iran next week to see if negotiations can resume, but the outlook is pessimistic.
"I think there are a lot of different pieces moving toward an interesting point on Iran, especially the nuclear piece," a US official said.
A pro-Israel advocate said administration officials "are considering harder approaches. Things are moving on a faster track." A second European diplomat said while there was a US trend to "toughen the position" on Iran, some Europeans preferred to keeping trying to draw Russia into a unified position.
Efforts to halt Iran’s nuclear programme would suffer if the issue was moved to the Security Council and the council was too divided to take action, some analysts said.
US officials say if the Security Council discussed Iran’s nuclear programme, sanctions would not be imposed immediately, while the council tried other diplomatic pressures.
Did Jesse Jackson go to Iran yet? How about John Kerry? John Kerry knows that he can reason with the terrorists and have them stop all nuclear ambitions. If not he'll send the lawyers over!...
What? Am I missing something?
Not from where I stand. That's an insane comment.
yup, old classics never die
If you do instantly desist from your plans to develop nuclear weapons with which to exterminate "The Zionist Entity" you will soon face the dire consequences...
France and Germany will ban all Pistachio and most Caviar imports. Not a single nut will enter the EU. Furthermore a strongly worded letter will become part of Iran's Permanent Record.
We beg you Iran: Do not go down the road that leads to mild inconvenience. No, literally, we're begging: Please don't cut off our oil we will do anything you want!!!
Sincerely,
The European Union, United Nations, RINOs, and Democratic Party
Like I said before if Ahmadinejad actually (really and truly) believes in the Mahdi and his return, he will not attack Jerusalem/Israel with nuclear weapons. He will instead use them to threaten Israel's supporter(s). He wants to lead an assault against Jerusalem to take it over, so it would be not in his interest to attack Israel with nuclear weapons. It WOULD be in his interest to attack America.
I think this was a mistake by the person who wrote the article. He was meaning to say that Congress and pro-Israel groups want the administration to soften their insistance on keeping the slow and very diplomatic approach and start getting tough. But by using the word "soften" it leads you to beleive that Congress and pro-Israel groups want the administration to go easier on Iran. Poor choice of words.
A good start might be a boycott of trade with Russia. Then again, we don't buy all that many nanutchka dolls or vodka.
Oh, I bet Iran is shaking in its boots: DIPLOMATS will STEP UP PLANNING for tougher DIPLOMATIC action IF Tehran follows through on threats.
I think that the "step up planning" part will really having them scurrying for cover (/sarcasm)
Pass the marshmellows and get back to me in 6 months with an update. Sheesh.
SOURCE 12DEC2005
The Rev. Jesse Jackson called on Iran’s president to retract anti-Israel and anti-Semitic comments.
- The comments by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad “are a threat to the fragile fabric of the world community,” Jackson said in a statement. In comments made last week, Ahmadinejad said: “If the Europeans are honest they should give some of their provinces in Europe — like in Germany, Austria or other countries — to the Zionists and the Zionists can establish their state in Europe. You offer part of Europe and we will support it.” He earlier called for Israel’s destruction.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson called on Iran president to retract anti-Israel and antisemitic comments.
First of all why on earth would anyone listen to Jesse Jackson. Second, How are the Iranians comments antisemitic? Arabs are Semites and Iran doesn't have a problem with them, they just hate Israel. Jews aren't the only Semites. So yes the Iranians don't like Israel, but that does not make them antisemitic.
They're going to put the ISO 9000 review of their plan on a fast track. It should only take about a year.
nah; dithering>one year.
Sharon's right: MUST end problem in march, 06, if it still exists.
The funny thing is, people will listen to anyone who speaks authoritatively. I posted his commentary to stir the thread up a bit. The political reality is that people on both sides of the aisle have real problems with Iran. This is a bipartisan issue but the debate starts when people begin discussing what to do about it. We can talk about the semantics of why individual Republicans and Democrats want to see action taken against Iran but overall, I’m impressed with how many of them are engaged on this issue. I would be very surprised if J. Jackson is planning to travel to Iran to try to convince the Iranians not to wipe Israel off the map. I imagine it is too far outside of the realm of plausibility, even for Jesse.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.