LAT: U.S. May Skirt U.N. on Iranian Nuclear Program

[sabra]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iran26aug26,0,2595288.story?coll=la-home-headlines

U.S. May Skirt U.N. on Iranian Nuclear Program

UNITED NATIONS — With increasing signs that several fellow Security Council members may stall a United States push to penalize Iran for its nuclear enrichment program, Bush administration officials have indicated that they are prepared to form an independent coalition to freeze Iranian assets and restrict trade.

The strategy, analysts say, reflects not only long-standing U.S. frustration with the Security Council's inaction on Iran, but also the current weakness of Washington's position because of its controversial role in a series of conflicts in the Middle East, most recently in Lebanon.

...

Under U.S. terrorism laws, Washington could ramp up its own sanctions, including financial constraints on Tehran and interception of missile and nuclear materials en route to Iran, Bolton said, and the U.S. is encouraging other countries to follow suit.

"You don't need Security Council authority to impose sanctions, just as we have," he said.

[Purveyor]

1. Iran and Venezulea should annouce they are taking 50% of their oil

off the market.

$70bbl oil would go to $140bbl, neither would loose revenue and still retain their resources.

"How Bout a Little Fire, Scarecrow?"

[oblivious]

2. I guess the US and Israel will be doing that trick on their own.

I can't see any other country participating in that asset-freeze, trade-restriction thing. These people have a highly inflated sense of US influence in the world.

[Purveyor]

3. One would have thought both of them, israel and the US , had earned

a clue after the Iraq and Lebanon debacles.

Indeed, they still have there 'nukes' to wag at the rest of the world...

[IndianaGreen]

6. A mutual hand job between Bush and Olmert

They failed in their dirty little wars in Iraq and Lebanon, and are now tripping over themselves to get another war started in Iran.

[madrchsod]

4. the usa and israel can`t do jack shit

and everyone in the rest of the world knows that.

[IndianaGreen]

5. The new Coalition of the Willing

an Army of Two: the US and Israel goose stepping into an armageddon of their own making in their lust for war in Iran, a war that they are destined to lose.

[TexasLawyer]

7. OMG!!!

Watch out for another disastrous pre-emptive war, where we will be aligned with the coalition of the temporarily willing and the coalition of the paid-off.

What do you want to bet that "financial constraints on Tehran and interception of missile and nuclear materials en route to Iran" are about 8 and 9 on the list of sanctions that Bush has in mind--

Far behind "bombing the living shit out of Tehran" and "imposing American Democracy upon a people that will greet us as liberators".

[TexasLawyer]

8. K'd and R'd

because this is important and frightening news.

[scarletwoman]

9. I agree, this is important & frightening. But MOST of all, infuriating!

How DARE these assholes think they have the right to dictate to the whole world and rain down violence on anyone they chose! Every step of the way since the total PNAC takeover of our foreign policy, whenever there was choice between either calming things down and building diplomatic bridges, or ratcheting up the militant propaganda and threats, they've chosen the latter.

I'm sick of it. I'm sick of the whole world being held hostage to the evil fantasies of global dominance of these black-souled ghouls. We need to drive a stake through the heart of these vampires -- this shit has GOT to stop!

sw

[VegasWolf]

10. Hell, the mighty Bush can't even stop some 20,000-30,000 'insurgents'

in Iraq, Bush's stated numbers, armed only with Vietnam era munitions. What the hell does Bush to do against a real army.

[HuffleClaw]

11. 'coalition' my ass

suuuuuuure

[Paula Sims]

12. Does the "coalition" include Poland? n/t