[lbo-talk] Russia steps up pressure on Iran

Yoshie Furuhashi critical.montages at gmail.com
Tue Mar 13 17:05:06 PDT 2007


On 3/13/07, uvj at vsnl.com <uvj at vsnl.com> wrote:
> The Hindu
> http://www.thehindu.com/
>
> Wednesday, Mar 14, 2007
>
> International
>
> Russia steps up pressure on Iran
> http://www.hindu.com/2007/03/14/stories/2007031405401600.htm
>
> Vladimir Radyuhin
>
> MOSCOW: Russia has stepped up pressure on Iran to comply with U.N. Security
> Council demands to suspend uranium enrichment.
>
> An "informed" Kremlin source accused Tehran of "abusing" Russia's diplomatic
> support and trying to use Moscow for its "anti-American games".
<snip>
> Analysts said the statement was a warning to Tehran not to break relations
> with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). "If they do not respond
> to the questions of the IAEA, let them bear responsibility for their
> action."

Ah, yes, I love those unnamed sources. :->

Far from breaking relations with the IAEA, Iran wants to be sent back from the UNSC to the IAEA.*

As for "anti-American games," Moscow doesn't really want a "pro-American" government who plays Saudi-style or Pakistani-style "pro-American games" next door either, and Tehran knows that, too: "The Russians know very well what would happen to them if a pro-American government was in power in Tehran," said Ali Khamenei ("Iranian TV: Ayatollah Khamene'i Speaks on Khomeyni's Death Anniversary (2), Islamic Republic of Iran News Network Television," 4 June 2006, <http://www.juancole.com/2006/06/khamenei-no-nuclear-weapon-program-no.html>).

Iran's leadership aren't as sharp as they ought to be, but they are definitely not as clueless as some observers take them to be.

* <http://en.rian.ru/world/20070313/61931126.html> Handing Iran dossier over to IAEA key to nuclear deadlock - FM 16:40 | 13/ 03/ 2007

GENEVA, March 13 (RIA Novosti) - Sending Iran's "dossier" from the UN Security Council back to the International Atomic Energy Agency could facilitate a resolution in Iran's nuclear problem, the country's foreign minister said Tuesday.

The IAEA Board of Governors convened last Monday at its Vienna headquarters for a 5-day session to discuss possible suspension of at least 20 aid projects in Iran following the recent report by IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei that Iran had ignored a UN Security Council demand to halt its uranium enrichment program and was seeking to expand it.

Manouchehr Mottaki said should the six parties "hand Iran's nuclear case from the Security Council over to the IAEA, my country will be ready to provide the necessary guarantees," adding Iran is ready to ratify an additional protocol to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.

He said last week Iran is prepared to answer any questions about its nuclear research posed by the international nuclear watchdog. -- Yoshie <http://montages.blogspot.com/> <http://mrzine.org> <http://monthlyreview.org/>



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