Comments on: Iran to Resume Uranium Enrichment?

By: sjh

sjh — Fri, 13 Jan 2006 08:14:54 +0000

it’s all about china and trade. uk, us, fr are on board with SC action. rus says “abstain”. when/if we get china into the abstain column we’ll build sanctions against iran. i’ve long thought that bush was going to withdraw from iraq to focus on iran. given this admin’s track record of using the SC to “legalize” their unilateral military maneuvers, i’d be shocked if this is a genuine turn toward the UN. more likely, it’s cover for their next occupation.

By: Arrigo

Arrigo — Tue, 10 Jan 2006 04:35:02 +0000

From a geopolitical point of view it is an ideal time to throw another spanner in the wheels.

There’s uncertainty in Israel with Sharon’s illness, the USA has issues with bribes which are always good PR for Iran, Europe is a bit of a muddle with Germany’s Merkel re-thinking the approach towards the USA but not wanting to give in over Guantanamo, the UK facing the LibDem leader leaving over alcoholism, etc.

Overall they probably want to judge how quickly the world will react in the knowledge that with Sharon between life and death an F-16 strike from Israel is unlikely.

By: Arnold Evans

Arnold Evans — Mon, 09 Jan 2006 22:27:51 +0000

I have some questions if anyone is knowledgeable. On Friday the five UNSC powers were working on a demarche that would condemn Iran, but over the weekend that failed and there were five separate communications from each UNSC permanent member that, according to reports “say about the same thing”. The obvious questions: what do they say, what makes them not say exactly the same thing?

Another question: If there is no threat of force that will work, what can the EU or the US offer in terms of certain concrete economic benefits if Iran gives up its right to enrich? I have not seen any indication of any offer beyond an offer to improve economic relations in a non-specific way at some non-specific time in the future.

What does it mean if the EU is unwilling or unable to make any solid offer at all in exchange for the very concrete demands it is placing on Iran? Does that mean that on some level, the West does not want to resolve the issue of enrichment?