Bush's Iran plan is in trouble. The Brits want the US to talk it out . . .

[bigtree]

Britain develops plan for involving U.S. in Iran talks

Published Sunday, March 19, 2006

VIENNA, Austria (AP) - Britain has come up with a plan to bring the United States into new talks with Iran over its nuclear program and might float the idea tomorrow at a high-level diplomatic meeting outside the U.N. Security Council, a U.N. diplomat said yesterday.

Any formal push by the British of such a plan is significant because they have been among the most stalwart backers of Washington’s call for strong pressure to be applied to Tehran, including the possibility of Security Council sanctions.

If raised by Britain, the plan would put the Americans under some pressure to accept.

It is bound to be supported by Russia and China, which oppose any Security Council action beyond an appeal to Tehran to cooperate with the Vienna-based IAEA investigation of its nuclear activities and to re-impose a freeze on uranium enrichment.

Germany, too, would be expected to back such negotiations, leaving the Americans and the French potentially isolated.

http://www.columbiatribune.com/2006/Mar/20060319News011.asp


I wonder what oil deal Blair and BP has cooking with the 'evil axis' . . .?


from Feb 27, 2003:

BP has been involved in a joint venture with an Iranian company (Fouman Shimi Co) to produce motor oil, while entering the Iranian petrochemical industry through BP Chemicals Co. It now has "three licenses for presenting polyethylene technology in Iran"

BP's involvement in Iran's emerging liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry for export purposes, if continued, seems to have the potential to turn it into a major player in that country's energy industry.

Given Iran's vast but still mainly undeveloped gas resources and its eagerness to turn itself into a major gas exporter, BP's major involvement in such a project could significantly uplift its international status in the LNG field. According to Dalton, BP could help Iran export its gas to "some of the world's key markets" where BP operates as it is "the first gas producer in the US and Britain. It has a considerable share in the Spanish market and is currently making investments in the Chinese and Indian markets."

BP is currently cooperating with National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) on its first LNG project to export gas from the South Pars gas field to India and other markets. In this regard, that company also participates in Iran's LNG consortium "along with NIOC and Reliance from India". South Pars is the world's largest operating gas field owned jointly by Iran and Qatar.

Iran's plan to develop that gigantic gas field through buy-back agreements has so far attracted major international oil companies, including Total, Russia's Gazprom and Malaysia's Petronas. BP, according to Dalton, "has also attended the bid on the development project of South Pars gas field's 11th phase aiming to present gas to LNG plant".

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/EB27Ak06.html


related:

Britain breaks with the US over Iran
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x695904

BP Avoids Iran Because of U.S. Sanctions--

Royal Dutch/Shell Group, based in London and The Hague, is developing Iran's offshore Soroush oil field. Paris- based Total SA exploited a phase of the South Pars natural gas deposit, the world's biggest. Japan's Inpex Corp. agreed last year to spend $2.5 billion to develop Iran's Azadegan field.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000102&sid=aQ1w0QuXpOkk&refer=uk

[acmavm]

1. Oh to be a fly on the wall of the Oval Office. I bet pResident Crazy

Killer Clown and his buddies are just going berserk. How will they get Poodle to get in line with their latest plan? Blackmail? I'm sure that they have the goods on the guy.

But then again, Poodle has his own particular set of problems. Like maybe attacking another country with no justificaion will be a bit much on top of the secret loans to Labor scandal.

This should be interesting.

[elehhhhna]

3. Blair is due for an anthrax letter from Washington (signed by Iran).

Hey! It worked on Congress & the media!

[Domitan]

2. Don't forget the wild card: Israel

Even if UK manages to turn the USA towards a more diplomatic path, consider what will happen if Israel takes the initiative to attack Iran.

[ugarte]

4. They're in no hurry to attack. Despite what they say

the Israelis know the Iranians are years away from getting the bomb, and any attack at this point would only push them back a few more. The negative political and international fallout simply wouldn't be worth it at this stage.

[bigtree]

5. don't they get fuel from Russia? Not so clear cut for Israel either . . .

Russia has become one of Israel's leading oil suppliers, although most transactions, reportedly in excess of $1 billion a year, have been carried out through Cyprus-registered entities. Late last year, there were reportedly test shipments of Russian oil from Novorossiisk to Ashkelon in Israel through the "Trans-Israel Pipeline", or Tipline, then to Eilat, and then shipped again from the Red Sea to Asia, thus bypassing the Suez Canal.
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Central_Asia/FB14Ag01.html

and here: http://www.gasandoil.com/goc/news/ntm34880.htm

[Domitan]

7. Good to know how complex the relationships are between these countries

makes it that much harder to take bullheaded simplistic moves (which unfortunately happened 3 years ago). Here's hoping that pragmatic self-interest prevails here.

[tatertop]

6. Israel will not attack.

Remember, nuclear weapons are not the issue - never have been.
At any rate, Bush will attack. No doubt.

(And while Israel will not attack you can be certain they will extract lots of US taxpayer dollars to stay out of the battle.
That old extortion game.)

[Raydawg1234]

8. I don't know....

You should have seen Jon Murtha on Meet the Press this moring, talking about how Bush just simply does not have a military option in Iran.

[tatertop]

10. The spineless Democrats will support the abominable republicans

Bush cannot afford to allow Iran to
deal in euro dollars instead of petro dollars.
To maintain the American Charade he must invade.
And by golly, he's going to do it.

The spineless Democrats will support the abominable republicans
and bush shall have his war.

[ribrepin]

11. Bush may not have a military option in Iran

but that doesn't mean President Crazy won't do it. Remember his statement about war in Iraq--"I get to decide, not you." I don't remember the exact statement, but something like that.

The man is a law onto himself.

[cliss]

9. Well...we've been so successful in Iraq &

Afghanistan.

Why would they be hesitant?