Deal reached on U.N. Iran resolution

[DenverBrit]

Deal reached on U.N. Iran resolution
Agreement on nuclear program appears not to include new sanctions
MSNBC News Services
updated 10:18 a.m. MT, Fri., Sept. 26, 2008

UNITED NATIONS - Six world powers, including the United States and Russia, have reached a deal to seek a new U.N. resolution on Iran's nuclear program, European officials said Friday.

John Sawers, Britain's ambassador to the United Nations, spoke to The Associated Press at U.N. headquarters before heading into a high-level meeting of nations concerned with events in Pakistan. Unnamed French and German officials also told Reuters that a deal had been reached.

After the meeting, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said the resolution will be introduced in the Security Council on Friday, but it was not immediately clear when a vote on the text would be held.

"We will be presenting a short resolution ... that reaffirms existing resolutions that are on the U.N. books, reaffirms the unity of the (six powers)," Miliband said in words confirmed by French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner.

Britain's Miliband said the six powers and the Security Council were determined to press ahead with "further discussions and further steps" on Iran's nuclear program.

No new sanctions
Western diplomats said the resolution would reaffirm three rounds of earlier U.N. sanctions to make clear that the process has not been dropped and that the council wants Iran to comply.

The Western diplomats spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity because details have not been made public.

The United States, Britain and France have been pressing for a new round of sanctions to step up pressure against Iran for its continuing refusal to suspend uranium enrichment as a prelude to talks on its nuclear program. But Russia and China objected to new sanctions.

The proposed new resolution appears to be a compromise — no new sanctions but a tough statement to Iran that Security Council resolutions are legally binding and must be carried out.

Tensions with Russia
Russia on Tuesday had scuttled high-level talks on imposing new sanctions on Iran that had been set for Thursday between the foreign ministers of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and Germany, the key players in seeking an agreement with Iran. Even sanctions opponent China had agreed to the meeting.

U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, sought to downplay the move, saying the time wasn't right for the session. But they had previously said such a gathering would be useful and necessary to get a fourth Security Council sanctions resolution on Iran.

Iran insists its nuclear program is purely peaceful and designed to produce nuclear energy, but the United States and Europeans suspect Tehran is pursuing nuclear weapons

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Thursday that Tehran needs the ability to produce nuclear fuel because it cannot rely on other nations to supply enriched uranium to the Islamic regime's planned reactors.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26902543

Progress?

[kappys]

The only real plan for progress that I've heard of is an Iranian supported propsal to place all nuclear fuel from all countires in the world into the hands of the UN who could then give out Uranium to be used in nuclear plants. Wonder if the US will go along with that one?

[Smiling Assassin27]

Originally Posted by kappys

The only real plan for progress that I've heard of is an Iranian supported propsal to place all nuclear fuel from all countires in the world into the hands of the UN who could then give out Uranium to be used in nuclear plants. Wonder if the US will go along with that one?

How is putting Uranium stores into the hands of a historically incompetent, self-deluded, corrupt organization considered 'progress'? Karl Marx would be proud of that kind of progress.

[baja]

Now there's a good idea, give the framework of a governing body for the one world government control over the raw material needed to make nuclear weapons. Smart, now go stand in that line and be scanned for termination or work detail.