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Full U.N. Security Council to Discuss Iran on Friday
The full U.N. Security Council is expected to convene a formal meeting Friday to discuss a draft text addressing Iran’s controversial nuclear activities, Agence France-Presse reported yesterday (see GSN, March 14). The draft further urges Tehran to “ratify and implement in full” the Additional Protocol to its IAEA safeguards agreement, AFP reported. Until recently, Iran has followed the protocol without ratifying the rules, which allow for more intrusive inspections of nuclear facilities. The United States has backed the draft resolution, while fellow U.N. Security Council permanent members China and Russia have expressed concerns. “We found a lot of difficulties” with the draft, said Chinese delegate Li Junhua. “We don’t think that setting an artificial deadline would help the diplomatic efforts because we want to maximize all the possible diplomatic efforts.” Security Council nations are to gather informally tomorrow and then meet Friday in a formal session, AFP reported. Peruvian envoy Oswaldo de Rivero said a decision on the statement would not come “before next week.” Meanwhile, the five permanent veto-wielding members of the council are expected to convene a fifth informal session today, according to AFP. “The objectives are the same but (the problem is) what is the best approach to achieve these objectives,” Chinese Ambassador Wang Guangya said regarding differences China and Russia have with the three Western powers. “What we want is to leave room and sufficient time for all diplomatic efforts to play ... we shouldn’t close all the doors for diplomatic activities,” Wang said (Agence France-Presse I/Yahoo!News, March 14). Greek Ambassador to the United Nations Adamantios Vassilakis said yesterday that the demands contained in the draft are similar to those adopted by the IAEA governing board earlier this month, Reuters reported. “Most of the elements are from the text of the resolution adopted by the governing board, which we already voted for,” he said. A Security Council statement requires approval from all 15 members, while a resolution could be passed with nine votes as long as there is no veto from any permanent member. “Whether it is a statement or a resolution we haven’t decided,” said U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton (Evelyn Leopold, Reuters/Yahoo!News, March 15). The White House said yesterday that recent reports of deadlock at the council were “premature,” AFP reported. “The discussions are ongoing,” said spokesman Scott McClellan. “We need to let those discussions continue.” Asked whether a divided council would undermine U.S. efforts to punish Iran, McClellan said, “I think that’s premature to get into that kind of discussion” (Agence France-Presse II/ March 14). A U.S. House of Representatives committee is considering legislation that would block U.S. economic aid to any country that assists Iran’s energy sector, the Associated Press reported today. The House International Relations Committee was scheduled today to take up the Iran Freedom Support Act. The Bush administration has opposed the bill, and has successfully sought concessions during negotiations, according to AP. Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), the chief sponsor of the bill, ruled out any further compromise. State Department legislative affairs chief Jeffrey Bergner outlined the administration’s position in a letter, contending that the legislation would inhibit Washington’s ability “to build and maintain an international consensus to confront Iran’s violations collectively.” It would “create tensions with countries whose help we need in dealing with Iran and shift the focus away from Iran’s actions and spotlight differences between us and our allies,” the letter says (George Gedda, Associated Press I/Houston Chronicle, March 15). Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said yesterday that Tehran’s nuclear program is “irreversible,” AP reported. “The Islamic Republic of Iran considers retreat over the nuclear issue ... as breaking the country’s independence which will impose huge costs on the Iranian nation,” Khamenei told Iranian diplomats. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also vowed to resist international pressure. “They should know that through propaganda, political pressures and games they play nowadays ... (they) can’t prevent the Iranian nation from pursuing its path,” he said (Ali Akbar Dareini, Associated Press II/Yahoo!News, March 14). However, some Iranian officials have begun to question the confrontational tactics of Ahmadinejad and the clerics, the New York Times reported today. “I tell you, if what they were doing was working, we would say, ‘Good,’” said one senior Iranian official. “[But] for 27 years after the [Islamic] revolution, America wanted to get Iran to the Security Council and America failed. In less than six months, Ahmadinejad did that.” One political scientist said Iran’s strategy has centered on winning Russia’s support by being hostile to the West. “They thought, 99 percent, Russia would seize the opportunity and back the Iranian leaders,” the political scientist said. Reformers have also begun to speak out, according to the Times. “There is more criticism as it is becoming more clear that this policy is not working, especially by those who were in the previous negotiating team,” said Ahmad Zeidabady, a political analyst and journalist. “There has been no sign that they will back down,” though, Zeidabady added. “There are concerns to keep the situation calm,” he said. “We have received orders not even to have headlines saying the case has been sent to the Security Council. Although the situation is very critical, they want to pretend that everything is normal. They do not want to show the country is coming under pressure and lose their supporters” (Michael Slackman, New York Times, March 15).
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