Posted on 09/17/2007 10:31:54 AM PDT by presidio9
France's foreign minister warned Sunday that the world should prepare for war if Iran obtains nuclear weapons and said European leaders were considering their own economic sanctions against the Islamic country.
Negotiations and two sets of U.N. Security Council sanctions have failed to persuade Iran to stop its uranium enrichment program, a process that can produce fuel for nuclear power plants as well as material used in atomic weapons.
Iran insists its atomic activities are aimed only at producing energy, but the U.S., its European allies and other world powers suspect Iranian authorities of seeking nuclear weapons.
Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, speaking on RTL radio, called for "more effective sanctions" against Iran if it continues to resist the demands to suspend uranium enrichment.
"We will not accept that such a bomb is made. We must prepare ourselves for the worst," he said, specifying that could mean a war. He did not elaborate on what kind of preparations that would entail.
"We have decided, while negotiations are under way ... to prepare for eventual sanctions outside the United Nations, which would be European sanctions," he said.
Kouchner was not specific about what penalties Europe might impose, other than to say they could be "economic sanctions regarding financial movements."
"Our German friends proposed this. We discussed it a few days ago," he said.
Sarkozy reportedly floated the possibility of European sanctions against Iran this summer. In a major foreign policy speech last month, he mentioned the possibility of an attack on Iran, which he said would be as "catastrophic" as Tehran getting a nuclear bomb.
In Washington, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
“as “catastrophic” as Tehran getting a nuclear bomb”
Bet they already have them, via N. Korea....
The Assyrians would be pleased.............
Everybody make a mental note of this, so, three years from now, when they start bitching for us to leave Iran, we can remind them that it was their idea to invade in the first place. Disregard, if we elect Clinton, Edwards, or Obama, in which case we will wait until Manhattan is gone, and them respond with censure, and possibly a couple of conventionally armed cruise missles (which miss their intended targets).
How is France preparing?
Increasing their stockpile of white flags?
More wine, garcon!
We’re not going to be Iran three years from now.
Oh?
Wham, blam, thank you Iran?
Hopefully, in three years there won't be any such place as Iran.
Agreed that the best-case scenario is the students overthrowing the mullahs and uniting to form a new democratic Persia. If we do nothing, it won't be long before Iran has nukes, but surplus ones as well.
Do you really think Hillary will conduct successful Mideast strategy? She’s going to hand over Iraq to Syria, Iran and Europe, in which case Iran-Iraq will be entrenched in power in that region for 1-2 decades. The mullahs aren’t going anywhere.
So, is it safe to assume you've already conceded the election to her?
Now, if the headline ran “France Prepares For War Over Iran”, I might have a new found respect for that country. But, as usual, that nation is waiting for the US to save their whine soaked butts.
I think it's wise to plan contingencies. I'll work the GOP phones again come election time, but I don't see any signs of her being stopped.
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