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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
6 Major Powers Hold UN Meeting on Iran
2006-03-21
Top officials of the five veto-wielding members of the UN Security Council and Germany were to meet later yesterday to plot a long-term strategy against Iran’s nuclear program. While the UN Security Council seeks to refine a draft motion urging Iran to suspend the uranium enrichment — a key stage in nuclear weapon development — the meeting of the six major powers will take a broader look at the international confrontation with Iran.

US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns was to huddle with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Kislyak and Foreign Ministry political directors John Sawers of Britain, Stanislas de Laboulaye of France, Zhang Yan of China and Michael Schaefer of Germany at BritainÂ’s UN mission from 2000 GMT, diplomats said. Germany, France and Britain have pursued three years of inconclusive negotiations to coax Tehran off its nuclear program in exchange for economic incentives.

A Western diplomat told AFP that the ambassadors of the five veto-wielding permanent members of the Security Council — Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States — would join in at the end of the session. The gathering comes as the 15-member Security Council is reporting some headway in its bid to agree a revised Franco-British draft urging Iran to comply with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) demands that it restore international confidence in its atomic program, which Iran insists is peaceful.
Posted by:Fred

#2  Good Cop, Bad Cop. Split the difference.

Get all 5 signed on to any resolution and it gives W the fig leaf of multilateral condemnation with sufficient ambiguity to permit force. He'll never get everyone explicitly on board for action, so settle for the best face for domestic purposes.

He then has to go to Congress for authorization of force to back up the resolution. And he needs to start prepping the people. The tin ear on these guys is astounding.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2006-03-21 10:14  

#1  Brits are talking surprisingly tough. They seem interested in heading towards militarily enforceable sanctions - some kind of blockade, IIUC. Russians and Chinese wont be too eager for that, I think.
Posted by: liberalhawk   2006-03-21 09:49  

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