After nearly six months of diplomatic wrangling the Obama Administration has finally managed to push through new sanctions against Iran at the UN Security Council, with a vote of 12 countries in favor, 2 against, and one abstaining.
The two against were, obviously, Brazil and Turkey. The two nations had engaged in intensive negotiations with Iran, which ended with them signing a third party enrichment deal that the US had long demanded and had been insisting was the reason behind the sanctions. The US responded by angrily condemning Turkey and Brazil and announcing the sanctions would go forward anyhow. Lebanon abstained from the vote, claiming Iran was too touchy an issue for the nation’s large Shi’ite population.
The energy sanctions, long the cornerstone of the sanctions, were sort of included, according to the US. China in particular, a major investor in Iranian oil, had opposed its inclusion. A vague reference to the Iranian energy sector in the first paragraph will, US officials assure, provide enough excuse to go after any companies that attempt to do business in Iran’s oil and gas sector.
We need to abolish the UN Security Council. Pronto. Polls have shown that a majority of the WORLD supports Iran's right to produce nuclar fuel for civilian purposes, but 12 countries somehow carry more sway than the rest of the planet?
The composition of the UN is a joke.
Why the hell did China & Russia go along with this after the deal with Brazil & Turkey? In the end, Iran would be well within its legal right to withdraw from the NPT, since there's obviously no benefit in being a signatory. If Iran withdraws from the treaty, the US/Israel will likely use this as justification for more war. Naturally, the Israeli's will expect the Americans to step up and carry the load.
Aren't Americans sick of this?!
The UN Security Council is a relic of World War II that was designed to perpetuate the hegemony of the Allied Powers in perpetuity. The legalistic tactics that the Security Council spawns do nothing to further the easing of international tensions and all too often result in the most blantant and indefensible hypocrisy.
Russia and China most likely are playing for time by supporting the resolution, and they may even hope to benefit from smuggling. Turkey, or course, can simply ignore the resolution as there is no way for the US and Israel to intercept commerce across the Iranian border. The Kurds, it is true, could be incited to try to interfere, but they would pay a heavy price for being the tools of the US and Israel.
Kudos to Brazil and Turkey. That was a brave vote, and I didn't think they'd do it. These sanctions are devastating. In particular, the pressure on Iran's trade in oil and gas will devastate the country, and the part about inspecting planes and ships is a major attack on its sovereignty as a nation. No nation would accept this. THESE SANCTIONS GUARANTEE WAR. And they are based on virtually nothing, so the major thing they assert is the towering impunity of the UNSC, which basically is now proven to be just an appendage of the US. Regime Change is coming to Iran soon. It will be either through the Green Coup or through war. At this point, Iran really has no choice but to leave the NPT.
Yeah this was very important, the most pressing matter facing the US (israel) right now is Iran and their imaginary nuclear weapons program
Somehow I feel that this is a face saving device for Obama. Let us see what follows. If US has pledged to other members its final set of arrangements, the arrangements will continue through Turkish-Brazil deal. If, on the other hand, US reneigs on whatever assurances it gave to UN SC, then Iran will get out of NPT, and will be probably be treated by Russia and China the way US treats India. But that would be really the end of NPT as we know it.
It does not look like the sanctions are realy anything new. The potential for checking cargo existed before as well. The energy sanctions do not exist, and no matter how US wants to interpret it, no other country will do anything on the energy front. Now, US can try to go after Chinese or Russian energy interests, but that would be suicidal.
One cannot help but notice that there was some sort of stage management associated with this. Day before yesterday, Turkey, Iran and Russia met on the sides of a conference in Turkey. We will see as the story unfolds.
To me these sanctions are just a joke. What has Iran done to deserve them? Israel can violates dozens of International Laws and dozens of UN resolutions and nothing ever happens to her. In the end sanctions have not brought down the Cuban regime and they won't bring down the Iranian. They never brought down the Chinese regime, when they were in force either. The boycotts put on Hitler and the league of nations sanctions on Mussolini only drove them closer together and closer to the brink. Pat Buchanan is right sanctions do nothing but hurt the poorest people, like those against South Africa and Iraq. The rulers are not effected.
The sanctions are at this point little more than a face-saving device for the west, ie the US, and for the Obama administration. The US has fumed and blustered and threatened, all to no avail. Thus the sanctions, watered down and useless, are all that remains to cover the helplessness of the US. Helping the US by voting for the new sanctions, is in reality "helping" the US to waste its time, which meets the criteria for Russian and Chinese pursuit of their own interests, in this case taking the form of not impeding the US as it works to damage and weaken itself.
US interests will continue to suffer so long as its policies actually pursue Israel's (perceived — yet misperceived) interests first.
I hope you're right. Iran doesn't deserve this. I suspect they are watered down after reading an article where the state department removed a chinese company and a russian company from the sanctions.
So let's hope you are right and that this is a face-saving venture. Besides, sanctions are useless, look at north korea and Cuba, two of the most sanctioned regimes in the world and they are still standing after all these "Harsh Sanctions".
I'm still waiting to see the evidence of the alleged nuke weapons program. Where is it? When you're the global hegemon, I guess evidence is not required. The mere assertion will suffice. Remember Iraq?
Will these sanctions make America any safer? No. In fact, it will further radicalize the Muslim world, not to mention make life that much more difficult for the average Iranian, none of whom have done anything to harm us.
None of this matters to Obama administration. All they care about is exercising raw political power. Makes me ill.
Is there anybody who could tell me ''ever Security Council'' did something Indpendently.
I believe it's time SC should be dismentled…Enough is enough with crap that has done more damage to the WORLD PEACE than protecting it.
Turkey and Brazil, may God speed you, as you and the(very few) likes of you are our last hope to stand against the crimes USA and it illegal child Zionist Israel are committing.
I voted for Obama and i will never vote for him again. He become just like Bush . Iran never envided any other country so I do not think they deserve this.
The Zionist aparthid state can do what ever they want and get away with it . All Muslims will view this as continuation of war aganist Muslim country .Zionist evil agenda always end up the American young pay this with their blood. Time to end occupation that we are funding with our tax money .
Hillary Clinton will get paid for whatever she owes to whoever she owes it.., in the other hand if such thing as democracy is the game that Obama or for that matter Bush or Clinton family is playing is about the principals of the democracy itself then why this man or Clinton is not questioning Israel and its WMD…, he is the president and should know that Israel is possessing such weapon of mass destructions…, and it is Israel that just killed people who were trying to help those who need help.., what a moral and double standard when it comes to democracy.., you people should be shamed using the democracy.., you are nothing but bunch of formalist calling yourself democras…, Turkey should get out of NATO and declare its relations with Israel terminated.
What about the idea that this was supported by China and Russia to buy more time? To hold off on the invasion for another season, since most time lines for an attack are during the summer? Plus will this give Iran and Russia time to power-up the Bushehr reactor? It's one thing to bomb a empty reactor quite another to turn all the downwinders into Chernobyl's? I don't know.
meanwhile Obama and Clinton are to ramp up their program of pulling the wings of the flying carpets, that will teach them.
Bianca writes:
"The potential for checking cargo existed before as well. The energy sanctions do not exist, and no matter how US wants to interpret it, no other country will do anything on the energy front. Now, US can try to go after Chinese or Russian energy interests, but that would be suicidal. "
& eppie says
"These sanctions are devastating. In particular, the pressure on Iran's trade in oil and gas will devastate the country, and the part about inspecting planes and ships is a major attack on its sovereignty as a nation. No nation would accept this. THESE SANCTIONS GUARANTEE WAR.
"GUARANTEE WAR"…. Strong words and/but I would go with eppie, except for Bianca…who says it's all a show… WHO to BELIEVE eppie or Bianca…???
I don't know what I would do if there were no comments allowed…. If all government utterances are lies as seems the case here today in America, we need those inside the lie factory to explain to us mere citizens what their gov-speak means…. and not government fids of one or another variety or other whether hired or elected or "contracted"…. Just the ordinary Americans who PAY for these games that keep our No. 1 Welfare Queen happy with their hard earned tax monies, and her NeoCon acolytes who lust to involve America is another war against HER enemies or those who do NOT PAY sufficient fealty to the chosen onez and their imperial longings… Yaa blackmailing China… Hay no one will mind the threats from G-d's chosen, right, hey after all… thoz chinkz know their place….Supportin G-d favorite people… All ?? billionz of-em
When Hillary Clinton brought up the Iranian sanction again and said that China and Russia are on board I said that you can not trust China nor the Russians.., look they are dividing the world among themselves for the benefit of what is called world powers…, US owes billions upon billions of dollars to China which paying for the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.., if they want to get their money back then they have to play the game.., that goes for EU and Israel and their economic relation to US and EU and China and Russia with EU and etc. the Chinese "communist…!" government knows if they ever going to get their money back they need to play along with US so as Russia and EU and etc. these what is called "powers" and their economic systems are based on their interests and not their people.., but their dishonest politics needs to be questioned by the respective nations.., their interests is certainly is not for the benefits of the Middle East people and especially the Palestinians nor the Iranians nor the Syrian or Iraqis of afghanis for that matter…, look what they have done to Iraq or Palestine and look what they are doing to the people of Gaza. Is this democracy or just called that to fool the people while they are playing another game with BP.
It looks like war, kids, more of it, that is. If you didn't want war you shouldn't have voted for President Emanuel. Or I mean Obama. Of course, the other side looked pretty nasty too. And Congress, oh my gosh! Excuse me while I puke!!! … It's the next phase in the U.S. and Israel's racist war against Islam. Remember when Bush Jr. called it a crusade? What a creepy idiot. The original Crusades went on for hundreds of years. That's just what the neo-cons wanted to hear.