No New U.N. Iran Sanctions, Yet

6 Permanent Security Council Members Agree To Wait For Nuke Agency Report

(CBS/AP)  Six key nations agreed Friday to delay a new U.N. resolution that would toughen sanctions against Iran until November to see if Tehran answers questions about its suspect nuclear program.

A joint statement from the U.S., Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany said they would finalize the new resolution and bring it to a vote unless reports in November from the chief U.N. nuclear official and the European Union's foreign policy chief "show a positive outcome of their efforts."

U.N. nuclear chief Mohamed ElBaradei and Iranian officials agreed in July that Tehran would answer questions from agency experts by December on more than two decades of nuclear activity - most of it secret until revealed more than four years ago. Technical officials from the International Atomic Energy Agency returned to Tehran this week to start probing outstanding questions, some with possible weapons applications.

In the statement issued after a ministerial meeting of the six countries attended by EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, the six countries welcomed the IAEA agreement with Iran.

"We call upon Iran, however, to produce tangible results rapidly and effectively by clarifying all outstanding issues and concerns on Iran's nuclear program including topics which could have the military nuclear dimension," the statement said.

Two U.N. resolutions imposing sanctions on Iran have failed to persuade it to suspend uranium enrichment. Tehran insists its program is aimed at producing energy for civilian use, but the U.S., its European allies and many others fear the program's real goal is to produce nuclear weapons.

In a Tuesday address at the U.N. General Assembly, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the nuclear issue is "closed" and vowed to defy any U.N. Security Council move for more sanctions.

The six powers reiterated their June 2006 offer of a package of economic and political rewards to Tehran, but only if it stops enrichment before the start of such negotiations - meant to achieve a long-term moratorium on enrichment.

In the joint statement, they asked Solana to meet with Iran's top nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, "to lay the foundation for future negotiations."

On Thursday, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said that China as well as Russia refuses to discuss possible new sanctions against Iran until the International Atomic Energy Agency reports on Tehran's past activities at the end of the year.

"I think that it would be very difficult to convince the Russians and the Chinese before," he said. "We'll do our best to convince them, but honestly, the position was difficult to tackle."

McCormack echoed Kouchner's comments and expressed frustration that the Chinese and Russians were holding up a new resolution.

"There have been questions the Russians have raised and the Chinese have raised, in particular, about the timing of moving forward with a sanctions resolution," he told reporters late Thursday.

"We think that we, the Security Council, should move forward with a sanctions resolution now. We would have wished that there had been a resolution by this point, but there hasn't been, unfortunately."

IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei and Iranian officials agreed in July that Tehran would answer questions from agency experts by December on more than two decades of nuclear activity - most of it secret until revealed more than four years ago. IAEA technical officials returned to Tehran this week to start probing outstanding questions, some with possible weapons applications.

Lavrov said Thursday night that the IAEA's progress with Iran "is obvious."

Security Council measures must be proportionate "and commensurate with what Iran is actually doing - and as long as Iran is doing something which satisfies part of the demands of the Security Council, I believe we have to caliber our action in the Security Council and elsewhere," he said.

Lavrov's comments to ITAR-Tass and RIA-Novosti earlier Thursday were stronger.

"Interference by means of any sanctions would undermine the International Atomic Energy Agency's efforts," Lavrov was quoted as saying. "The U.N. Security Council measures on Iran should be balanced and respond to the steps taken by Tehran itself that obliged to answer all questions."

Rice and her top aides had hoped to capitalize on international frustration with Ahmadinejad for his recent remarks. But Lavrov said the U.S. wanted to ignore the IAEA - as it has in the past - but "we want to rely on IAEA expertise."

The U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Zalmay Khalilzad, said Thursday the agreement with the IAEA "cannot be used as a shield to protect Iran from its violation, lack of cooperation, lack of implementation of the demands of the Security Council" on the nuclear issue.

Khalilzad said that Iran's ability to enrich uranium to a level usable for weapons is a "threat to international security and stability. It is one of the most important, perhaps one of the defining issues of our time."

A united diplomatic front, he said, increases the chances that diplomacy will succeed. "Those who will not cooperate on the diplomacy of this, with regard to pressure on Iran, sanctions on Iran, bear some responsibility should diplomacy, God forbid, fail."

[lawyertom1]

I love the way the Shrub and I''m-a-nut-job taunt each other. Like a couple of kindergardners on the playground. Only, thousands, perhaps millions, of lives are at stake. Two imbeciles locked in a death grip. What is bizarre is that both are really just beards. Chain-Gang pulls the strings on the former and Ali Khamenei, the latter.

[getloud1]

If Americans don%u2019t wake up their will be nothing left, our Nation is broke and Wall Street is the only people making a profit. While the Hidden inflation tax continues to rise and the value of the dollar declines. Ron Paul is the only one who truely understands this, and honestly if he is not elected America should be prepared for a real economic depression like it has never seen before.

Unless you want a North American Union and a new currency the "Amero" split with Canada and Mexico. And lose all your rights and freedom. Vote For Ron Paul 2008!

So my advice is to bypass the media and spread the word to your family and friends about him. The power of the People is far greater than a campaign spending 10''s of million to buy an image. Because this man is a real American Hero. He has dedicated his life to this country and everyone in it, and now he is trying to save it from disaster.

Spread The Word! Go Ron Paul 2008!

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[feelfree1]

SuhaAlNafa,

Re: "Do you know, I think that the USA is very aggressive and it should be softer in it`s foreign policy, unless they want to have problems! I can`t respect them because they invade independent countries!"

Your English is fine here. You are coming through ''loud and clear''. Nicely said.

[feelfree1]

Re: "The U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Zalmay Khalilzad, said Thursday the agreement with the IAEA "cannot be used as a shield to protect Iran from its violation, lack of cooperation, lack of implementation of the demands of the Security Council" on the nuclear issue."

This guy is like the Ahmad Chalabi of U.S. politics.

###

Re: "Technical officials from the International Atomic Energy Agency returned to Tehran this week to start probing outstanding questions, some with possible weapons applications."

What the hell is that supposed to mean?

I think that this article qualifies as exhibit "M", in the case of CBS complicity, in the fomentation of yet another unjustifiable, illegal war of aggression, against Iran.

[pwrslm]

Posted by SuhaAlNafa

Do you refer to Afghanistan or Iraq?

[pwrslm]

This business of applying sanctions and declaring nations and national institutions terrorist is esentially waging wars of aggression.

Posted by CBS_Oliver

Aggression? Not necesarilly. If the sanctions are applied to the conduits of espionage and terror, its self defense.

An example was the N Koreans. Thier assets were locked down. They had been counterfieting US money for over a decade. They violated the Clinton deal and were developing WMD. They used thier means to aid radical islamic nations and tyrants to research and advance thier WMD programs. These acts were a threat not only to the USA, but to the world.

Making a blanket statement that sanctions are tools of aggression is like saying all jets are missles, they should be outlawed because of 9-11. Only a idiot would agree.

Applying sanctions against Iran is an effective tool, however, stalling and postponing action to resolve the issue is not. Not for us, anyhow.

[speakinup]

SuhaAlNafa - so tell me - what country are you from ? Or, are you that ashamed ?

[suhaalnafa]

You will wait, dear!

[speakinup]

"I`d like to apologise for my not so good English!
Posted by SuhaAlNafa

And I''d like you to crawl back under your rock.

[suhaalnafa]

I`d like to apologise for my not so good English!

[suhaalnafa]

Do you know, I think that the USA is very aggressive and it should be softer in it`s foreign policy, unless they want to have problems! I can`t respect them because they invade independent countries!

[cbs_oliver]

This business of applying sanctions and declaring nations and national institutions terrorist is esentially waging wars of aggression.

It needs to stop and the UN in particular needs to stop being a politically oriented tool for Western power economic and military warfare against other nations - especially those with oil and other resources

[tomar0317]

Folks let''s get the UN out of America and onto European, Asian, Russsian, or African soil. Since the Swiss are the most neutral contry in the world I believe, maybe there is best. These ambassators have it way too cushy here in our country. Maybe they''d have it just as cushy elsewhere, but they won''t already be taking advantage of us on our turf. Oh, and everyone in the UN shares equally in the cost of the new complex including America... we pay only what everyone else pays. Let''s start making the rest of the world responsible for what happens.

[ajayvee]

I believe the die is cast, the plans are made. This waiting for UN resolutions and IAEA reports or whatever is just smoke. With or without the UN, Bush and Cheney are decided on bombing Iran. If I were a betting man I would say some time between April and July. This is one flutter I would love to lose, however, there has been enough slaughter already.

[antoniof123]

I think after George''s blunder in Iraq as well as lying to America the UN counties are going to put us on a lease. But when you lie about Iraq not working with the world when in fact the UN inspectors were there up until 3 days (Yes that is right 3 days before) before we bombed it back to the beginning of time the UN is not going to listen to us for a long time to come (Thank you neocons or should I say morons).