South Africa Proposes "Time Out" For Iran

(CBS/AP)  South Africa called Monday for a 90-day "time out" on sanctions against Iran and said a resolution drafted by six world powers should drop an embargo on arms exports and financial sanctions targeting Iran's Revolutionary Guards and an Iranian bank.

The proposals by South Africa, which holds the presidency of the U.N. Security Council this month, were obtained by The Associated Press ahead of an informal council meeting Tuesday and the first formal discussion Wednesday on the draft resolution.

Germany and the five veto-wielding permanent council nations — the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France — agreed on modest new sanctions Thursday to step up pressure on Iran to suspend uranium enrichment, which can be used to produce nuclear energy or nuclear weapons. But South Africa and the nine other non-permanent council members were not part of the negotiations and only received the draft Thursday to consider and propose changes.

"Iran's request to be heard at the Security Council debate appeals to nations which would prefer to negotiate a solution and which are sensitive to Tehran's right to develop peaceful nuclear energy, particularly South Africa, regardless of Iranian President Mahmound Ahmadinejad's defiance of the Council's December deadline," said CBS News foreign affairs analyst Pamela Falk from the U.N. "And since South Africa controls the agenda for March, it will have some influence on the inclusion of its request for a delay."

The extensive amendments to the draft proposed by South African could delay a vote on the resolution, though with support from the five permanent members the draft is almost certain to be adopted.

France's U.N. Ambassador Jean-Marc de La Sabliere said the South African amendments were not consistent with the approach of the six powers. "It weakened a lot the resolution, and we thing that pressure should be put on Iran," he said.

In its paper on "required amendments to the new draft," South Africa backed a proposal made late January by U.N. nuclear chief Mohamed ElBaradei at the World Economic Forum in Davos for a 90-day "simultaneous time out" as a way to defuse tensions.

Under ElBaradei's suggestion, Iran would suspend its enrichment activities and the Security Council would put on hold implementing sanctions so both sides could "go to the negotiating table" in hopes of achieving a comprehensive settlement not only covering nuclear issues but security, economic and political concerns as well.

The South African paper said "the 90 day period of grace provided to Iran would allow for a de-escalation of tensions and create an opportunity for Iran and the other parties involved to resume negotiations towards a long-term peaceful solution."

"This short period would be sufficient to make progress with political negotiations but would be insignificant in terms of the further advancement of Iran's enrichment program," the paper said.

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[superpatri18]

We in the west pressured both Rhodesia and South Africa to end White Rule, and we are continually paying the price for this kind of folly.

Before some moron yells "racist", I was fighting Apartheid while some of you were still in diapers. However, the reality is that Rhodesia under Ian Smith allowed rights for Blacks, and there were even Black soldiers in the Rhodesian Army. You cannot paint Rhodesia with the same brush as you can SA.

But thanks to Carter, Kissinger, and Callaghan, the three stooges, we forced Smith to step down in favor of a new Idi Amin - or better description of the pet killing, anti-democratic starver Mugabe would be a Black Hitler.

In the case of SA, the Whites stepped down on their own accord, but instead of allowing a principled leader like Buthelezi to step in, they allowed ol' feckless Nelson with his Communist friends to take power. Thanks to those Communists like Kapo Kasrils, you have SA giving aid and comfort to Iran - to Hamas - and also Al Qaeda. We who pushed for a Democratic, tolerant South Africa and Rhodesia under Black rule now rue the day. And now the b*stards ANC-SACP government makes excuses for Iran. Nice.

[neoconrcrazy]

You should know that now Russia is withholding to sell fuel for Booshehr power plant. How can we trust Russia to give us needed fuel?????
We have the same history about Booshehr power plant with Germany!!

Posted by breceivemail


Considering the high state of tensions with regard to this subject, it may be in Iran's interest too return to the IAEA to negotitate from the international community a guarantee of supply of fissionable fuel - thus proving Iran's real intentions are to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

[neoconrcrazy]

Having nuclear power is every country's right

breceivemail


this is correct and the NPT organization was set up to study and eventually satisfy developing countries nuclear energy needs.

unfortunately the US under Bush has decided to completely ignore NPT advancement, deciding instead, with his neocon advisors, that the US may do anything it wants, without the approval of the international community.

the natural result is that other countries now feel no need to engage the world community when they start developing their nuclear industries.

this sad situation is the fault of the Bush administration who has willfully neglected our NPT obligations.

[breceivemail]

--Tbweb

You should know that now Russia is withholding to sell fuel for Booshehr power plant. How can we trust Russia to give us needed fuel?????
We have the same history about Booshehr power plant with Germany!!

[tbweb]

-- breceivemail

At the moment the world does not trust Iran! Iran is not making it easy for the world to have trust with language about wiping Israel off the map! Arrangements were made for Russia to enrich uranium for Irans peaceful nuclear programs but Iran rejected this arrangement! Iran should let Russia enrich uranium for Iran until Iran builds trust in the world. Why does Iran need to enrich its own uranium right now? So the world does want Iran to have peaceful nuclear energy, the world just wants to enrich uranium for Iran until Iran calms down, until Iran uses more peaceful language, until Iran renounces wiping Israel off the map! Iran needs to build up trust equity in the world!

[neoconrcrazy]

Having nuclear power is every country's right

breceivemail


this is correct and the NPT organization was set up to study and eventually satisfy developing countries nuclear energy needs.

unfortunately the US under Bush has decided to completely ignore NPT advancement, deciding instead, with his neocon advisors, that the US may do anything it wants, with the approval of the international community.

the natural result is that other countries now feel no need to engage the world community when the start developing thier nuclear industries.

this sad situation is the fault of the Bush administration who has willfully neglected our NPT obligations.

[breceivemail]

We do not bow to pressures. Having nuclear power is every country's right.
Why should USA and UK extend their nuclear weapons but should not Iran have peaceful nuclear activity??????
Six world powers are cheating other countries and people of the world to slur over their hidden nuclear activities. They are engaging the world's attention to extend their anti-missile shield to conquer the world.
History repeats itself.
They say Iran's nuclear activity is a thread to world peace cunningly. If you remember history, when Iran nationalized oil industries, UK said Iran's action was a thread to world peace and region's security. (?????!!!!!!) Then they arranged a coup d'itat against the popular government of Iran.
Now they are cheating the world again.
We are experienced so we do not bow.

[neoconrcrazy]

wiping Israel off the map

tbweb


this idiom does not exist in the Farsi language and his actual translation was;

"push the zionist regime into the sea"

Ahmadinejad, like all Middle East leaders, wants israel to return to her 1967 internationally recognized borders, stop terrorizing the Palestinians, and pay repairations for 50 years of occupation.

By using and repeating the incorrect tranlation you join the multitude of mis-informed masses shrilly screaming for war, or worse, against Iran.

[tbweb]

A 90-day "time out" to defuse tensions and enhance negotiations for peace which prevents death, destruction and the end of the world as we know it is always a good idea. Negotiators need to determine if this 90-day "time out" is sincere on Irans part or a stalling tactic by Iran to take care of last minute business so the proposed sanctions don't bite as hard. My gut feelings tell me its a stalling tactic by Iran but Iran should be given the benefit of any doubt and granted a 90-day "time out". If Iran can agree to suspend uranium enrichment for 90-days Iran can also agree to suspend uranium enrichment permanently until Iran builds up trust within the world so that Irans intentions about possibly building bomb are not questioned. Iran also needs to face the fact and reality that the world does not trust Iran, if the world did trust Iran sanctions would not be an issue in the first place!

[krotec54]

Iran's Revolutionary Guards wants the 90 day grace period provided to Iran, which would allow for an escalation in uranium enrichment.
Just stalin for time before the financial sanctions takes effect.