Posted on 08/29/2006 4:56:32 PM PDT by rocksblues
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The U.N. Security Council will need until mid-September before acting on its threat to punish Iran if Tehran's leaders flout a Thursday deadline to suspend uranium enrichment as is widely expected, Britain's U.N. ambassador said Tuesday.
Ambassador Emyr Jones-Parry's prediction seemed to rule out the immediate threat of sanctions against Iran if it disregards the council's demands - spelled out in a resolution adopted this month - to suspend enrichment by Thursday. Iran has already said it would reject the deadline.
Jones-Parry said that before it can act, the Security Council will need to receive a report from the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, on Iran's compliance with the resolution.
"Once we've had the report from the agency, had a further chance to discuss that, capitals will have a clearer view of exactly how this should be carried forward, but I would expect activity here to resume toward the middle of September," Jones-Parry said.
Another obstacle to quick action will be the language that will have to be worked out in the resolution. Russia, whose support for sanctions is essential, has publicly counseled patience with Iran - a possible signal of reluctance to go along with the U.S.
For now, most discussions are taking place in the capitals of the permanent five Security Council nations, as well as Germany. A council diplomat said diplomats in New York have discussed ideas which could be included in a new resolution but that the council was a long way from a formal meeting.
The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks were private.
The negotiations over the earlier Iran resolution took weeks, as did talks over a weaker statement passed this year in which the council also demanded Iran suspend enrichment.
In July, the five permanent members of the Security Council plus Germany offered Iran a package of incentives to entice it into clearing up questions about its nuclear program and suspending uranium enrichment.
The council then gave Iran until Aug. 31 to suspend enrichment and warned it would consider economic and political sanctions if Iran disobeys.
Although details of Iran's response last week have not been released, officials and diplomats said it was not satisfactory. Diplomats at the U.N. said they believed Iran's response would not change between now and Thursday.
Enrichment is a process that can produce either fuel for a reactor or material for weapons. Iran says its nuclear program is intended solely to generate electricity, while the United States and Europe contend it secretly aims to develop weapons.
U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said the United States still has not decided how it will respond once the Aug. 31 deadline expires. But he reiterated that Washington will seek sanctions if Iran disregards the resolution.
"They have until the 31st of August, but we've made it very clear unless we get an unequivocal acceptance of that condition in the Security Council resolution, that sanctions would follow," Bolton said.
"And in the meantime, in the Pentagon, plans.......".
Let's hope so, for our sakes.
I am hoping the Administration will act soon.
We need to tar and feather the UN, and send them packing to belgium.
Usually the UN is all over things like this...............
/sarc
In the meantime, U.N. is too preoccupied congratuling itself on empty accomplishments and beating up on Israel. They're secretly happy about Iran because they want Iran to nuke Israel.
And then magically, all of the Arabs' problems caused by their own stupidity and short-sightedness over the last 1,500 years will be solved.
/sarc.
Meanwhile the Democrats have a plan that includes more diplomacy.
I saw a bumper sticker : " I don't give a damn what John Kerry or the French think". Do you think the American people will wake up election time?
Ah, yes. The Neville Chamberlain and Theo van Gogh school of dealing with violent nuts. Talking the bad guy to death only works on old Star Trek episodes and only when the bad guy is an evil computer.
Israel may be gone but so will all of the Middle East.
Not all over, just centered around Israel.
Shocking!
the nuclear winds of winter will blow sooner than we imagine. with the world doing NOTHING Israel has no choice other to respond in kind.
having been on the frontline and in the trenches since 1948, they are the only ones who know the need, urgency and the cost of not responding appropriately. they are far more intimate with what is at risk then anyone in the g8. they also know they cant trust the rest of the world let alone the g8 - so out of self preservation, they have to go it alone. They have to act.
which is too bad
The un is not going to do anything about Iran. Both the un and Iran know this.
And so do we ,Sport
And that will happen when? FReepers have been blustering about turning various ME countries into glass for the last five years.
Accurate appraisal of the situation.
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