 LONDON - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said on Monday he would not rule out military action against Iran, but believed a policy of sanctions could still persuade Teheran to drop its disputed nuclear programme.
“I firmly believe that the sanctions policy that we are pursuing will work, but I’m not one who’s going forward to say that we rule out any particular form of action,” Brown told a news conference, when asked if he would rule out a military strike against Iran.
| He firmly believes it will work. Just has to. Nope, won't say what he'll do if it doesn't. |
The United Nations Security Council has imposed two rounds of sanctions since December on Iran for failing to halt enrichment, a process which can produce fuel for power plants or material for warheads. A third sanctions resolution is being considered. Iran resumed working with the U.N. watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency this month to clear up outstanding questions about its nuclear activity and improve IAEA inspectorsÂ’ access to its enrichment plant.
This, say some European diplomats, has prompted the six big powers working on the issue -- the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany -- to quietly put off forever until September efforts to toughen existing sanctions, in hopes IranÂ’s improved cooperation with U.N. inspectors may defuse the standoff.
“I firmly believe the sanctions we are imposing on Iran are sanctions that are having an effect already ... we are going to have to consider what we do in future,” Brown said. “There will probably be a third resolution in relation to Iran soon ...I appeal to the Iranian authorities to understand the feelings that other countries have about the development of their nuclear weapons programme.”
| If they considered the feeling of other countries, they wouldn't be the Mad Mullahs™, now would they? |
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