IRAN: If no sanctions and no war, then what?

Iran has managed to escape sanctions, but it didn't walk away completely unscathed from the latest United Nations General Assembly meeting.

The U.N. Security Council over the weekend passed a largely symbolic resolution against Iran for its refusal to stop producing enriched uranium, a key step in a certain type of nuclear weapons program, as well as in producing fuel for peaceful power generation.

The five-paragraph resolution reaffirmed four previous resolutions containing three sets of sanctions and urged Iran to comply with U.N. demands "without delay."

Of course Iran was flabbergasted.

Its office at the U.N. issued a news release calling the unanimous move "unfortunate" and an "unpleasant surprise" for the whole world. Iran downgraded its participation in an International Atomic Energy Agency conference set to begin today, a reminder that it could also boot U.N. arms inspectors out of the country if it's pushed too hard.

But the resolution fell far short of the harsh punitive sanctions the U.S. and Israel wanted. With veto-wielding Russia virtually ruling out the possibility of even mild sanctions, it was the best deal they could get, affirming the Bush administration's ninth-inning conversion to the type of painstaking multilateral consensus-building it decried during its first years in power.

There are other considerations and dynamics at work. All the Europeans keep talking about maintaining a united front yada, yada, yada. Fact is, they're still doing a lot of business with Iran. France's mammoth Total energy conglomerate and Austria's OMV are among the lead sponsors of an upcoming gas exploration conference in Tehran.

France's Danone yogurt company (called Dannon in the U.S.) has begun doing business in Iran, as has the mega-retailer Carrefour, which is a French version of Wal-Mart but with a better selection of cheeses.

That's not to mention the unabated presence of European automakers such as Renault, Peugeot and BMW.

There are also signs that the Bush administration is toning down the war talk in its final months. The Guardian, citing unnamed sources, reported last week that the Bush administration nixed any possible Israeli attack on Iran.

The Bush administration's decision to install advanced radar technology in Israel is likely a better weather vane of where all of this is probably headed.

Despite the position of the Bush administration, both U.S. presidential candidates and European leaders that a nuclear-armed Iran is "unacceptable," the West and Israel appear to be preparing the framework to live in a future with an Iran that might obtain nuclear weapons capability.

— Borzou Daragahi in Beirut

Photos: From top, demonstrators burn an Israeli flag during Iran's annual Jerusalem Day celebrations on Friday in Tehran; a woman attends the Jerusalem Day event, which marks Iran's opposition to Israel.

Credits: Hossein Fatemi / Fars News Agency; Ali Abbaspour / Fars News Agency

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Comments

[silver fox]

The answere to the question is very simple: how about dialogue and engagement based on justice and dignity. Once the current morons are gone perhaps we can begin anew.

[KHASHAYAR]

1 should ask her self doese Medle east belong too Aryan Persian race or some Angola Saxon ?????????
like I se it Medle east belong too Persian race live with it,,
soon the entire Medle east even grece will come back too there right owner The Persian race. or USA can shoes too atake Iran! Wath happened with the 300 years old power full USA???? oh sorry you can not even take care about Iraq or Afghanistan and your economy is falling down

300 300 300 300 300
DONT FORGET TOO DO A MOVIE ABOUTH YOUR FALEN POWER IN THE WORLD (HOLLYWOOD)
300 300 300 300 300

[Jimmy V]

"If no sanctions and no war, then what?"

How about shelving those neocon empire building plans and try to live a peaceful life by talking to others with mutual respect instead of an arrogant, almost like "master and slave" type of communication?

How about condemning Israeli crimes for once?

When a country spends more than most of the countries in the world combined on its military and still feels the least secure, there is something seriously flawed.
As an Iranian American I am disgusted by both Iranian and American governments. The people of both country are great people and deserve better!

http://counterpunch.org/roberts09292008.html

[mohammad allam]

What would be better example of dual policy of west than this Iran nuclear issue.One hand they are keeping silent on Issue of Israeli nuclear programme and allowing to maintain military balance and killing of innicent palestian.And other hand you debare the state of Iran to not even go for peacefull nuclear research for energy purpose.
The whole set up of west shows that they are looking a part of Israeli gameplan.what you are trying to convey is not showing any positive attitude towards Islamic world.That sthe reason that Muslim feeling unrest around the world.In other words you are trying to push the Muslim world in crisis and provocation.
Why not west talk about a free unclear weapon middle east,vacuse it is against in the interest of west.
In my opinion countries in the middle east should support Iran and ask for a military and nuclear free zone of middle east with Israel rolling and ending of nuclear programme.If UNO goes for economic sanction than the muslim countries should withdraw from UNO body.what is the use to be part of body which never make justice but provide anti Islamic forum to all anti Islamic nation to crush Muslim powers?We keep that UNO is more needed by west than us.so there should be a clear signal taht in case of sanction Iran will withdraw from UNO and Other countries will follow the trend.we all want peace .

[norma lee]

Doesn't anyone read history?.
Iran has never attacked another country.
What in the universe would they do with Israel or the U.S?
On a recent trip I was so impressed with Iran and Iranians, I'm planning tours in the Spring to achieve cross-cultural insights through travel.
Join us. look at the web site: www.irancustomtravel.com

[BiBiJon]

IRAN: If no sanctions and no war, then what?

How's about lets start demonizing, um, Ireland? Or, if we can relax the IR rule, we could broaden our national pass time to demonizing Iceland.

http://www.bibijon.org/iranimage/

[AnIranian]

When I read Mr.Saatchi’s comment, I get this feeling more and more that Iran doesn’t’ have any greater enemy than some Iranians, unfortunately. It’s regrettable to see these people jeopardizing their national interests for their own misfortune in political arena, if not in their whole life (it’s unfortunate though, I am not happy to see them suffering, but they also should recalibrate their thinking. Those who don’t change are called DEAD people, and Mojahedin should come to the reality even if it’s painful). Actually, Mojahedin are totally marginalized in today’s Iran in to the point that I am afraid by naming their institution; I am giving them legitimacy a little bit. It’s better not to talk about them at all as it would be just waste of time. The answer for the author’s question is of course clear: REAPROACHEMENT, lifting the already unfair sanctions, freeing the frozen assets, and general STOP looking Iran as an adversary or better to say solving the geopolitical problem of the region in a way Israel also not to feel as burden. These are called DIPLOMACY. Diplomacy is not just trying to tighten the screw on Iran. So long as the U.S looks these stuff as bargaining chip, the problem will exist and it’s surprising to see a desperate superpower looking to get out of a mess made by itself, while the solution is also in its hand.

[jack]

So long as we have the Israeli LOBBY (AIPAC and others) and its neocon christian nuts who pray for THE SECOND COMING of Jesus, the world will not be safe from a potential attack by this and other western countries against Iran. Whether we like the current Iranian regime or not, the fact is that Iran is a victim of a melicious Israeli (zionist) LOBBY propoganda. Israel has one of the largest arsenal of nuclear weaopons in the world and yet scares the rest of us of a highly unlikely event of an Iranian bomb making effort. What a farce! Iran has not and does not intend to attack any country in the world including the zionist regime in Israel but it is hard to convince the ordinary and gollible western citizens of this fact. A WAR WITH IRAN IS ABSOLUTELY UNNECESSARY AND WILL BE DISASTROUS FOR US ALL. Hope cooler heads prevail in the administration and that U.S. does not fall in the trap set by Zionists the same way it did in 2003 when it attacked Iraq.

[Justice For ALL]

I do not agree with the Islamic republic. Mojahedin are bunch of traitors who sell their country and their mother in a same package. They have done this over and over again.

Both Rajavi and Khomeini/Khamenei are criminals who have their hands contaminated in the blood of thousands of innocent Iranians. In the next government both Rajavi and the criminal members of the current government has to be put on trial and be held responsible for their atrocities committed on the Iranian people.

No War on Iran

[LOUD-SPEAKER]

I am a western NGO I support Freedom for tibet. I also support the apartheid israeli ethnic cleansing of palestine.
Does anyone take me seriously?

[Whatever]

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IRAN: If no sanctions and no war, then what?

DIALOGUE & RAPPROCHEMENT

That's the solution; lifting the sanctions which is on the Iranian people. Stop AIPAC dictating US foerign policy in Middle East.

[Nader]

Shut up already Majid. Mojahedin won't ever get a chance in Iran.

[Majid Saatchi New York]

The West is appeasing the Iranian Regime for the past 25 years. Mr. Jack Straw from UK, Mr. Chirac from France and State Departement Mr. Richard Armitage and his supporters here in US like Mr. Gary Sick, Congressman Bob Ney and Senator Jospeh Biden.

What is the result of all these compromises, negotiation and appeasement? It is some crazy guy like Ahmadinejad.

This is doing the same thing that happen in WWII with Mr. Chamberlin and how he reacted toward Hitler. Sometimes worst that Hitler and dictator like him are people who appease dictator and provide some sort of reason for their crime or their own inaction.

Problem in today's world for Islamic Fundamentlism and Terrorist like Ahmadinejad. Terrorim is coming from Iranian goverment we see that in Iraq every day.

All I can say is shame, shame and shame on the appeasment policy.

Unless we have a stronge policy against Islamic Fundamentalism and terrorist like Ahmadinejad, we will have all these problem. Regime change is the only solution. No War and No Appeasment, the 3rd option of regime change by Iranian People and their democratic representatives.

[AK]

It's very simple: Iran is a NPT member and therefore has the right to enrich nuclear fuel.

Mojahedin have no support in Iran and they are a terrorist organisation, like the American goverment!!

No one dares to attack Iran because the Iranian people will crush them.