Posted on 02/04/2006 2:59:03 AM PST by HAL9000
ALARM - the IAEA returns Iran in front of the Security Council of UNO
VIENNA - the council of the governors of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) decided Saturday by vote to transmit the Iranian file to the Security Council of UNO for his suspect nuclear activities, announced the IAEA.
I see a breaking news banner on msnbc about this just now. So what does this mean?
UN nuclear watchdog refers Iran to Security Council
The UN nuclear watchdog voted Saturday to send Iran to the UN Security Council over concerns that Tehran is developing atomic weapons, a diplomat at the agency said.
But the resolution, passed by 27-3, puts off any UN action against Iran for at least a month, to give time for diplomacy to work before the next meeting in Vienna in March of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Iran has made numerous threats to ramp up their nuclear activities if the IAEA refers the matter to the Security Council.
AP News Alert
VIENNA, Austria (AP) -- U.N. nuclear watchdog agency refers Iran to the U.N. Security Council.
wow..a resolution that MAY result in more resoultions in the future...Iran must be really worried now!!!
I thought ElBaradei just said they would wait one more month to give the Iranians another chance and see what developed.
I can only suppose the Iranian government might have gotten his Swiss bank account number wrong during the needed transfer.
Five countries abstained from voting.
Three countries voted against the resolution - Venezuela, Cuba and Syria.
This is actually very major news. The US has been trying to get this to happen for over 2 years and Iran has threatened to end all ispections and go into full uranium enrichment if this happened. This is going to be a very very interesting weekend.
Here we go!
The abstaining countries were - Algeria, Belarus, Indonesia, Libya and South Africa.
IAEA to Report Iran to Security Council
VIENNA, Austria (AP) -- The U.N. nuclear watchdog agency agreed Saturday to report Iran to the U.N. Security Council over its suspect nuclear ambitions.
The decision by the International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-nation board sets the stage for future action by the top U.N. body. The council is authorized to impose economic and political sanctions.
Still, any such moves were weeks if not months away. Two permanent council members, Russia and China, agreed to referral only on condition that no council action be taken until at least March.
Iran has said that if this happened, then diplomacy was over as far as they were concerned. Now we'll see if those blackmail threats were just hot air or if they mean it. Can't wait to hear their reply, this is an historic vote.
Nuclear agency votes to report Iran to U.N. Council
watchdog voted on Saturday to report Iran to the U.N. Security Council because of suspicions it is trying to make atomic weapons, a diplomat who was in the session said.
Iran has threatened to respond to the move -- initiated by the United States, EU powers, Russia and China -- by curbing U.N. inspections of its nuclear facilities and scrapping talks on a Russian compromise proposal.
The diplomat said a European Union-sponsored resolution aimed at increasing pressure on Iran to improve its cooperation with an International Atomic Energy Agency probe of its nuclear programme was passed by the 35-nation IAEA board.
Twenty-seven members voted in favour of the motion, five abstained and three voted against, the diplomat said.
The vote had been delayed by a day of haggling between EU powers and 15 developing states from the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). These tried to soften the resolution for fear it would antagonise Iran and curb their own nuclear energy options.
Diplomats said the EU rejected their attempts to delete a clause mandating that all IAEA investigative reports and resolutions, including one in 2005 declaring Iran non-compliant with nuclear non-proliferation rules, be passed to the Council.
"That was a 'no-no'. Paragraph 2 is the holy grail for us," one EU diplomat said.
Another Western diplomat said that to remove Paragraph 2 would have surrendered to Iranian intimidation. "The threat (to restrict inspections) is on everyone's minds but we consider it blackmail and if we give in to that, there's no end to it."
Diplomats from the EU trio of France, Germany and Britain said they were determined to induce the Islamic Republic to come clean on what they suspect is military involvement in nuclear work, and to stop enrichment of uranium.
U.S. and EU leaders, aware that Russia, China and developing states wanted to avoid a showdown with the world's fourth biggest oil exporter, insisted that reporting Iran would not finish off diplomacy or trigger early sanctions.
NAM states argued that Paragraph 2 could be construed as ending IAEA oversight of Iran and paving the way to sanctions before the IAEA concludes its investigations into Iran's atomic energy programme -- which it concealed for 18 years until 2003.
Iran says it wants only nuclear power, not bombs, and that it has a sovereign right to make uranium fuel on its own soil.
REPORT PENDING
An EU3 source said another controversy that held up action in Vienna was a dispute over a clause, backed by Egypt, saying that resolving the Iranian issue would contribute to the creation of a nuclear weapons-free zone in the Middle East.
The wording clearly alluded to Israel, the EU3 diplomat said, and proved unacceptable to Washington. Israel has never confirmed or denied it has a nuclear arsenal, but is believed to have about 200 atomic bombs.
IAEA Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei is due to deliver a sweeping report on Iran's nuclear programme at a regular meeting of the agency's board on March 6.
Russia and China endorsed the resolution last week after winning guarantees from Washington and the EU3 that there would be no push for Security Council action before March, removing the biggest barrier to the resolution.
"Once this is on the agenda of the Security Council, we foresee a graduated approach to bring additional pressure on the leadership in Tehran to achieve a negotiated settlement," U.S. Ambassador Gregory Schulte told reporters on Friday.
But Iran's deputy nuclear negotiator warned that involving the Security Council would also kill talks on Russia's offer to guarantee a supply of uranium for Iran's power stations, designed to ensure it cannot be diverted for weapons.
Iran says there us no legal basis to report to the Security Council since the IAEA has found no hard proof of a weapons programme. It says Washington's aim is to topple Iran's Islamic government, which has called for the destruction of Israel.
"The Iranian threat is serious and there's fear we are entering a risky period of polarisation and confrontation that will do no good for either side," said a senior diplomat not involved in the push to report Iran to the Council.
"If the IAEA loses snap inspection access, a vacuum will ensue where others step in and make accusations the IAEA cannot check out, and where could that lead? We are in need of ideas on how to solve this peacefully."
Iranian negotiator Ali Larijani called on Germany, France and Britain to restart talks on a diplomatic solution. But they say Iran must first reverse its move to resume atomic research and small-scale enrichment of uranium, announced on January 9.
VIENNA (Reuters) - The board of the U.N. nuclear watchdog voted on Saturday to report Iran to the U.N. Security Council because of suspicions it is trying to make atomic weapons, a diplomat who was in the session said.
So this means? What? They will wag their finger at Iran and say you better listen to us or else, we'll refer you again?..and again and again and again
Like I said, the US has been pushing for this for over 2 years, its a major development. And what Iran has threatened to do in responce to this would push this crisis to places way, way beyond where it has been till now.
"That was a 'no-no'. Paragraph 2 is the holy grail for us," one EU diplomat said."
So what does Paragraph 2 have to say specifically?
BBC - In response, Iran says it will resume full-scale enrichment of uranium.
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.