AP: Russia Minister: No Punishment for Iran

[Eugene]

Russia Minister: No Punishment for Iran

By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV
The Associated Press
Saturday, October 21, 2006; 8:36 AM

MOSCOW -- Russia will not allow the U.N. Security Council to be used to punish
Iran over its nuclear program, the foreign minister said. Foreign Minister Sergey
Lavrov said that Russia was ready to discuss ways to pressure Iran into accepting
a broader international oversight of its nuclear program, but added that "any
measures of influence should encourage creating conditions for talks."

"We won't be able to support and will oppose any attempts to use the Security Council
to punish Iran or use Iran's program in order to promote the ideas of regime change
there," Lavrov said Friday in an interview with the Kuwaiti News Agency KUNA which
was posted on the Russian Foreign Ministry Web site Saturday.

On Friday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called the U.N. Security Council and
its decisions "illegitimate," saying the world body was being used as a political tool
by Iran's enemies _ the United States and Britain.

Iran has been locked in a standoff with the West over its nuclear program. A draft
United Nations resolution on Iran is expected to be introduced in the Security Council
early next week, and diplomats have said they would seek limited sanctions on Tehran
for refusing to suspend uranium enrichment.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/21/AR2006102100271.html

But this morning Condi expressed confidence that the Security Council would act against Iran.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061021/ap_on_re_eu/rice">Rice confident of U.N. action on Iran - AP

[Benhurst]

1. I hope Condoleezza (sic) doesn't get mad; but will see this as

an opportunity to do something positive, like flying to New York for the Ferragamo shoe sale.

[Supersedeas]

4. but but but Dr. Condi is our Soviet EXPERT--how can this happen??

[bemildred]

2. Gee, who could have predicted this? nt

[Tempest]

5. Everyone outside of the administration

And here I thought Kindasleazy was a Russian expert.

[Vidar]

3. Putin is evil, but like Stalin taking on Hitler, he merits thank for this.