Russia rejects Iran sanctions

[Human Torch]

Fri Sep 1, 2006 6:22am ET165

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-09-01T102223Z_01_L29427617_RTRUKOC_0_US-NUCLEAR-IRAN.xml&WTmodLoc=NewsHome-C1-topNews-5

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran said on Friday that a nuclear standoff with the West could only be settled through negotiation while Russia called imposing punitive sanctions on Tehran for not ending sensitive atomic work a dead end. European Union foreign ministers, meeting in Finland, want further dialogue with Iran rather than sanctions after Tehran defied Thursday's U.N. deadline to stop work that the West fears could be a prelude to making a nuclear bomb, officials said.

At a two-day informal meeting near Finland's border with Russia, the EU ministers were expected to seek fresh talks despite U.S. pressure for a rapid move to impose sanctions.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran believes the only possible way to achieve fair and acceptable results for all parties is through negotiations and by respecting Iran's legitimate rights," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said.

"Iran's activities are transparent, public and have peaceful aims far away from any ambiguities and it (the issue) can be easily solved through negotiations," he was quoted as saying by the official IRNA news agency.

[wakeme2008]

1. Bolton is going to have a Hissy Fit

:evilgrin:

[Human Torch]

2. Yep..."despite U.S. pressure for a rapid move"...

:evilgrin:

[McCamy Taylor]

6. Wishe he would hold his breath and turn blue.

[acmavm]

3. Well, sure looks like we'll be having to play this out by

ourselves, unless Poodle decides that he can spare a few more Brits for another BFEE war.

[Human Torch]

4. Last night on "Hardball"...

...Christopher Hitchens...for whatever his opinion is worth..basically said "No one wants to do ANYTHING with Iran. If the U.S. wants to do something, they'll be doing it alone."

Not an EXACT quote, but close enough. Anyone interested in his remarks can check for last night's "Hardball" transcript (not yet posted on the MSNBC site).

:patriot:

[Vidar]

5. Good for Russia.

[INDIA]

7. Just curious...

Why do you say "Good for Russia"? It's not like they're taking some kind of stand against B*sh because of moral, anti-war reasons. They're refusing strictly because of their economic (oil) ties to Iran. It's all about money; Iran could be running Nazi concentration camps and Russia would probably still reject sanctions.

[Monk06]

8. "Iran COULD be running Nazi concentration camps ?" The US is running

Nazi concentration camps in Cuba as well
as "renditioning" ie kidnapping so called
terrorists and handing over to the tender
mercies of Egyptian and Syrian torturers.

Without Russian and Chinese veto power
in the UN SC Bush and his cronies would
have nothing restraining them.

Now with the Russian veto Bush as to use
the clear and present danger/pre-emptive
invasion model.

It didn't work in Iraq. The US military
is bogged down and bleeding cash and troops.

An invasion of Iran would be economic and
political suicide. It would be the end of
the US a world power let alone the world's
only super-power, a term which I have always
maintained is nothing but delusional hubris,

[BrotherBuzz]

9. And if the shoe was on the other foot...

and the US had economic ties with Iran our position would be exactly the same as Russia's. The world is playing a masterful game of chess while the Bush* administration insists on playing a lousy game of checkers. King Me!

[Vidar]

10. They're doing a good thing, regardless of the reason.

Bush is the the far greater evil.