Russia opposes reporting Iran to UN

[cal04]

Russia said on Monday it opposed reporting Iran to the U.N. Security Council over its nuclear program, putting itself on a collision course with the United States in a global body where Moscow holds a veto. U.S. and European Union officials have warned they will push for Iran's nuclear case to be sent to the Security Council -- which could impose sanctions -- if Tehran does not halt all nuclear fuel work and resume negotiations with the EU.

"In these circumstances we see no reason why the question should be sent to the U.N. (Security Council)," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on its Web site www.mid.ru. Russia, long criticized by Washington for building a nuclear plant for Iran, is a permanent member of the Council and can use its veto to block any move against Iran.

The remaining four members with a veto are the United States, Britain, China and France. Germany, Russia's key ally in Europe, threw its weight behind Moscow's call, saying Iran's talks with the International Atomic Energy Agency watchdog and European negotiators were key to ending the stand-off.

"The Iran negotiations are not yet a topic for the Security Council, rather the negotiations should be revived," said Wolfgang Gerhardt, Germany's most likely next foreign minister after the September 18 election.

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2005-09-05T152331Z_01_BAU547087_RTRIDST_0_NEWS-NUCLEAR-RUSSIA-IRAN-DC.XML

[tom_paine]

1. Bush & Putin can get along no more than Hitler & Stalin

As Hitler was the Right-Wing equivalent of Stalin, so Bush is the Right-Wing equivalent of Putin.

[drduffy]

2. actually they are not perfectly equivalent

Bush drools a lot more. Duh....which way did they go george?

[CatholicEdHead]

3. While Bolton will try to bully the UN

that will not work and the "lone gun" approach will then be put on the table.

[K-W]

4. Bolton will do exactly what he was sent to do.

Tell the UN it is agreeing to US approved and designed reforms or effectively neutering it.

The world may not like it, but the world doesnt have much of a choice.

[bemildred]

5. I think the world has a good deal of choice at this point in time.

But we will see. I would expect to see a long period of
stalling, fulmination, and obfuscation before anything
definitive happens.