Reuters: India plans to abstain from a vote on Iran'

[PhilipShore]

Reuters India
Jan 30, 2006

http://in.today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-01-30T145900Z_01_NOOTR_RTRJONC_0_India-234470-1.xml

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India plans to abstain from a vote on Iran's nuclear programme at a meeting of the U.N. atomic watchdog this week, top Indian officials said on Monday.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) board is due to hold an emergency session in Vienna on Thursday to consider sending Iran to the U.N. Security Council for sanctions over its disputed nuclear programme.

The U.S. Ambassador to India, David Mulford, said last week that if India did not oppose Tehran at the IAEA, a landmark India-U.S. nuclear cooperation pact could be in trouble.

"We cannot vote with the U.S. after his comments. We're planning to abstain," one senior official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told Reuters.

[rpannier]

1. Another scrub admin diplomatic coup

The phrase diplomacy seems to be lost on them.

[oblivious]

2. I imagine Mr Mulford must be feeling a tad foolish.

Just the excuse they needed.

[desi826]

3. why is their first response

Always bullying and blackmail?
It never works for long and just pisses people off.
Des

[sweetheart]

4. refreshing "no hipocrisy"

India grants other nations the liberty to act as they themselves have,
understanding the escalation process of war, nuclear weapons are a waste
of money, and they know the iranians can ill afford it, but sooner or
later, pakistan will have a potential enemy to the west, and an enemy
of thy enemy is thy ally in the war on terror.

[Bhaisahab]

5. not really sweetheart

i'm of the opinion the government decided to abstain because it has been under heavy pressure from its socialist allies to abstain in the coming vote. The message sent out by the Left parties essentially is - 'vote against Iran, and we'll vote you out of power.' as pointed out by a Duer in this thread, mulford delivered a great excuse to the government, who did not want to be seen as buckling under the Left's pressure.

[HuffleClaw]

6. oh bloody hell

after all their tough talk they are caving? damn it to hell.

on edit: why couldn't they have voted against bush?

[pdurod1]

7. Don't extend the US nuclear umbrella over India...

The stupid corporate fucks selling Americans out and expecting protection from us can bend over and get their asses kicked.

[endarkenment]

11. actually we were going to give them technology

which would have been a violation of the dead as a doornail non-proliferation treaty. India is quite determined to be independent of any great power protection scheme.

[bemildred]

8. SA, Malaysia and Cuba back Iran in standoff

Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has made a surprise visit to South Africa where he appeared to win the guarded support of this country, Cuba and Malaysia to oppose Western plans to refer Iran to the United Nations Security Council about its nuclear programme.

European powers are planning to report Iran to the United Nations Security Council this week because they suspect it is preparing to build nuclear weapons.

Iran insists it only wants to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes as it is entitled to do under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

The crisis came to a head two weeks ago when Iran broke seals on its facilities for enriching uranium, a process that can lead either to the construction of nuclear weapons or to production of nuclear fuel to power generators.

http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=24&art_id=vn20060130072343523C300016

[endarkenment]

9. I guess our bribe of nuclear technology was not as

impressive as iran's bribe of a gas pipeline. Gee this whole energy crisis thing sucks when you are on the wrong end of the supply chain.

[lovuian]

10. India is Using Bush to get everything they can...

but Iran is a neighbor and we are not...Oh and lets not forget India's neighbors Pakistan and China...

[cliss]

12. Well, good for India.

I don't care if the vote of 'no confidence' came in late. I think it's rather funny. Now watch this clown David Mulford, Mr. Big Shot. He thought he had India on its knees, by threatening to take away something that was already promised to them.

The ugly truth is: the U.S. is losing in negotiations all over the world. It's been happening in Central & S. America. Look at that base we were using in Uzbekistan (I think). We got Evicted from that! Imagine, us getting kicked out of a country. It's true. There's an article on Counter Punch that goes into detail about how much we have lost around the world, and it's a lot.

It's incredible. Here's just another example.