Reply #96: White House Warns Iran About Referral [View All]

[54anickel]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1807418

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/n/a/2005/09/26/national/w133537D24.DTL&type=printable

snip>

"The world is saying to Iran that it is time to come clean. The world has put Iran on notice," White House press secretary Scott McClellan said. "It is unacceptable the way Iran is behaving."

On Saturday, a majority on the 35-nation board of the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog agency approved a resolution that cited Iran for "a long history of concealment and deception" in a nuclear program Tehran insists is only for the peaceful production of nuclear power. The International Atomic Energy Agency resolution found Tehran at odds with its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty that Iran signed.

According to the resolution, Iran's past failings already set it up for consideration by the Security Council — though there was no immediate referral. Instead, the resolution asked IAEA members to look at the issue again at a future, unspecified meeting.

It wasn't the decisive rebuke desired by U.S. officials — who allege Iran has a secret illicit program to build a nuclear bomb and have long wanted Tehran reviewed by the Security Council and possibly punished with economic sanctions. While India switched its position to support the resolution, U.S. allies Russia, China and South Africa abstained from the vote.

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Looks like Iran's friends came through for them, though not a veto, looks like one wasn't needed yet.