Russia and China warn UN not to antagonise Iran

[cal04]

Russia and China on Thursday warned against escalating the dispute over Iran’s nuclear programme. The call came on the eve of an eagerly awaited report on whether the country has met United Nations demands. The US and the European Union believe Friday’s report by Mohamed El Baradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, will set the stage for a UN Security Council resolution, since there is little chance that Tehran will meet the council’s demand for “full and sustained suspension” of uranium enrichment, which can produce weapons-grade material.

But on Thursday Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, warned against too great an intervention by the Security Council – a path Moscow feels could lead to confrontation. “We think that the IAEA must continue to play a key role and it must not shrug off its responsibilities to resolve such questions and shift them on to the UN Security Council,” he said at a summit with Angela Merkel, German chancellor.

European officials argue that, far from sidelining the IAEA, any action by the council would seek to bolster its
authority. The Chinese government also called for restraint. Moscow and Beijing, which have growing energy and economic links with Iran, fear that a UN resolution might be used to justify military action at a later stage. The US has stepped up efforts to assuage such concerns. “Forcible change of the Iranian regime is not the objective of American policy,” Philip Zelikow, a top adviser to US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice, told the Financial Times.

“Right now, we haven’t completed implementing a diplomatic strategy. That diplomatic strategy involves underscoring to the Iranian regime the costs of its behaviour.” US and EU diplomats hope to win Security Council backing for a resolution on Iran by mid-June. Such a resolution would not involve sanctions but would probably set out a new deadline for Iran to halt nuclear enrichment. Mr ElBaradei has been pushing Iran for a “technical break” in uranium enrichment to allow negotiations over the nuclear programme to resume.

http://news.ft.com/cms/s/80adc11a-d60c-11da-8b3a-0000779e2340.html

[Vincardog]

1. Anyone taking bets on the Nukes dropping in Iran before November?

I believe aWoL and his death cult will feel God's will calling them to it before the grown ups retake control.

[no_hypocrisy]

2. So, combining this warning with the admonishment from Condi earlier

today, that means that in order to maintain its credibility, the UN must antagonize Iran.

[madrchsod]

3. no one is going to touch the second largest proven

oil reserves in the middle east. iran has proven gas fields that will make pakistan,india,and china happy for years. someone will tell bush to shut the fuck up when the time comes...right now the uber rich in the world are making a killing in the markets. just what was discussed at bill gate`s compound?

[jdelullo]

4. At this time,

I have a bad feeling about the whole Iran issue. With it being in the paper's constantly as of late, and with Russia and China geting involved, the UN will be forced to act in some way and whatever they do, whether they are permissive or hard on Iran, they will be criticized by those opposing factions. I really don't think they can ignore the obvious issue America seems to be taking with Iran. I just hope it stops short of war.

P.S. I'm a teenager and I'm studying Farsi, it might be useful in a few years.....

[cliss]

8. Hello jdelullo and

welcome to the DU!:smoke:

Yes, I'd say that's a wise decision to learn Farsi. ...considering that Iran holds 4 Aces, plus 4 Kings. This is a country with immense assets, and they will be a major player in the years to come.

Too bad Bush had to make them angry.

[BattyDem]

5. Iran doesn't scare me, but ...

if we attack Iran, it's a safe bet that Russia and China will be coming after us ... and THAT scares me! :scared:

[Democracy deth watch]

7. The axis of evil grows ever larger

I think the president wants a nuclear exchange with Russia and China. He's done proving his dad was a wimp for not invading Iraq in Gulf War I, now he can prove every president since Hiroshima was a wimp too for not destroying our supposed enemies.

[ladjf]

6. We are all guessing. Mine is that Bush's motives are:

(1) to run up the price of crude and (2) get some of base votes by talking tough about Iran, to make himself look strong on national defense. I don't believe that he intends to attack Iran.