South Africa Proposes "Time Out" For Iran

Proposal At U.N. Security Council Calls For 90-Day Respite On Sanctions Against Iran

(CBS/AP)  In December, the Security Council voted unanimously to impose limited sanctions against Iran for its refusal to freeze uranium enrichment. It ordered all countries to stop supplying Iran with materials and technology that could contribute to its nuclear and missile programs and to freeze assets of 10 key Iranian companies and 12 individuals related to those programs.

Iran responded by expanding its enrichment program, and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad remains defiant.

The proposed new sanctions in the draft resolution would ban Iranian arms exports and freeze the assets of 28 additional individuals and organizations involved in the country's nuclear and missile programs, about a third linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard, an elite military corps.

The package also calls for voluntary restrictions on travel by the individuals subject to sanctions, on arms sales to Iran, and on new financial assistance or loans to the Iranian government.

The South African paper said "the resolution should focus only on Iran's nuclear program" and proposed amendments that would drop the ban on Iranian arms exports and voluntary calls on all countries "to exercise vigilance and restraint" in supplying arms to Tehran. A call on all countries and institutions "not to enter into new commitments for grants, financial assistance and concessional loans" to the Iranian government would also be dropped.

For the same reasons, the South Africans proposed amendments that would eliminate all seven members of Iran's Revolutionary Guard and three organizations affiliated with the elite military corps from the list of those subject to an asset freeze and travel "vigilance." The Revolutionary Guard oversees vital Iranian interests, including oil and natural gas installations and the nation's missile arsenal.

The South African proposal would also eliminate Bank Sepah and Bank Sepah International, and the bank's chairman, Ahmad Derakhandeh, from the list of those subject to an asset freeze.

South Africa stressed that the resolution should "only provide for proportional, incremental and reversible measures directed towards the nuclear program that would support a peaceful and negotiated solution to the outstanding questions related to Iran's nuclear program."

"Sanctions should never be adopted in haste when other tracks for the peaceful resolution of a situation should be addressed," the paper said.

South Africa's U.N. Ambassador Dumisani Kumalo, who refused to comment on the specifics of the proposal except to say that it was following ElBaradei's suggestion, said the country wants to stress the importance of political negotiations.

"South Africa is not a window dressing in this council," he said when asked about the extensive amendments. "We have started engaging with" the permanent members.

"It's just ideas we're proposing," Kumalo said. "If they don't work, I have to go back to my capital and say they didn't work, but they're not take it or leave it."

[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.