Learn Chinese: Learn Chinese - Iran's Aug. 31 deadline under resolution

Friday, January 4, 2008

Learn Chinese - Iran's Aug. 31 deadline under resolution

CHINA / National

Iran's Aug. 31 deadline under resolution
(AP)
Updated: 2006-08-01 06:25

The U.N. Security Council passed a resolution Monday giving Iran until
August 31 to suspend uranium enrichment or face the threat of economic
and diplomatic sanctions.

Because of Russian and Chinese demands, the text is weaker than earlier
drafts, which would have made the threat of sanctions immediate. The
draft now essentially requires the council to hold further discussions
before it considers sanctions.

The draft passed by a vote of 14-1. Qatar, the only Arab nation on the
council, cast the lone dissenting vote.

Drafted by Britain, France and Germany with U.S. backing, the resolution
is a follow-up to a July 12 agreement _ by the foreign ministers of those
four countries, plus Russia and China _ to refer Tehran to the Security
Council for not responding to incentives offered in June to suspend
enrichment.

The ministers asked that council members adopt a resolution making Iran's
suspension of enrichment activities mandatory. The resolution includes
that demand and calls on all states "to exercise vigilance" in preventing
the transfer of all goods that could be used for Iran's enrichment and
ballistic missile programs.

"The United Kingdom is deeply disappointed that Iran has given no
indication that it is ready to engage seriously on our proposals nor
taken the steps needed to allow negotiations to begin," Britain's U.N.
Ambassador Emyr Jones-Parry said.

Qatar's U.N. Ambassador Nassir Al-Nasser said that while the demands of
the six nations were legitimate, the resolution will only exacerbate
tensions in the region and Iran should be given more time to respond.
Tehran said last week it would reply August 22 to the Western incentive
package, but the council decided to go ahead with a resolution and not
wait for Iran's response.

"We do not agree with the tabling of this resolution at a time when our
region is in flames," Al-Nasser said. "We see no harm in waiting for a
few days to exhaust all possible means and in order to identify the real
intentions of Iran."

Last Friday, Iran called again for international negotiations on its
nuclear ambitions and said it was considering the incentives. Western
nations have dismissed the idea of such talks without a halt to Iran's
uranium enrichment.

The U.S. and some of its allies accuse Iran of seeking to produce highly
enriched uranium and plutonium for nuclear weapons. Tehran maintains its
nuclear program is purely peaceful and aimed at generating electricity.

The resolution would call on the U.N nuclear agency, the Vienna-based
International Atomic Energy Agency, to report back by August 31 on Iran's
compliance with the resolution's demands.

If Iran does not comply, the council would then move to adopt political
and economic sanctions, the resolution said.

Diplomats said the threats spelled out in the resolution would be revoked
if Iran agrees to the package of incentives.

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Friday, January 4, 2008

Learn Chinese - Iran's Aug. 31 deadline under resolution

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