China and Russia reap the benefits of Iran sanctions

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/08/10/opinion/edgleis.php

Published: August 10, 2008

Talks with Iran have reached another impasse. The Islamic regime recently rejected yet another package of incentives that the United States, China, Russia, Britain, France, and Germany put together in an effort to coax Tehran from ending its nuclear enrichment program. Intelligence agencies fear the Iranians will soon reach the critical "point of no return" when they will have the technological know-how to develop a nuclear weapon.

That apprehension has set off a flurry of rumors that Israel or the United States will attack Iran before it is able to reach that threshold.

In this environment, one would think that the international community would be doing everything in its power to press Iran into accepting a compromise. And the developed world is rightly ratcheting up the pressure on the Iranian government.

Yet two countries - China and Russia - are not only undermining the effort, they are actually profiting from the rest of the world's sanctions.

This past spring, China's state-run oil company announced it would move forward on its $70 billion contract to purchase liquefied natural gas and develop the Yadavaran oil field in southwest Iran.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

1. Eeek!! Quick, give more money to the Pentagon!!

No use doing anything other than what our noble tradition of handling foreign affairs demands.

[TexasObserver]

2. It's natural that China and Russia exploit US hostility to Iran

Both are buyers of Iranian crude.