Iran - the current focus

[Tulameen]

Dubya is not the only one who has turned his eyes toward Iran. There were some unverifiable rumors earlier this month that the Prez has already begun mobilizing the military to prepare for a strike. This has not been independently verified.

However, now Pooty-Poot Putin has turned his eyes to Iran. What will this mean for the prospect of Peace in the Middle East? IMHO, I think it means that the bloodshed and "Shock and Awe" (God, I hated Bush for saying that! Such unmitigated arrogance!!!) will spread to Iran. And this time it will be a battle ground for world powers (U.S., Russia, China, perhaps others) with the Iranians flattened like pancakes on ground zero.

In this case I would be more than pleased to be wrong, but things are heating up in that direction.

Iran now wants nukes and are threatening to develop them if they don't get their way (news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4494125.stm)
They're willing to put their money where their mouth is (news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4394177.stm,) but Dubya is saying this is a stunt, in an attempt to call Iran's bluff. I suppose Dubya is stalling for time, and in the process making sure the world knows that our Cowboy President is giving Tehran every opportunity to back down beore we drop the big one on them and start WWIII.

Meanwhile, Pooty-Poot has visited Cairo and proposed his own middle-east summit (news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4489693.stm.)
Is he competing with Dubya? I suppose he's trying to look like the good guy, but if there's a Big War, will both presidents wear a white hat? Hmmmm...

So what happens if the talks fail? This is from the BBC again:

The E3 and the US would request the IAEA to report Iran to the Security Council for its original failure to declare its enrichment effort. They would then call on the Council to tell Iran to stop enriching or face sanctions. Whether the Council would agree is not known. China and Russia, with veto power on the Council, have interests in Iran. China buys Iranian oil and Russia is helping Iran complete a nuclear power station for which it will supply fuel.

Might the US or Israel bomb Iran if there is no solution?

The US has said publicly that it will not permit Iran to develop nuclear weapons. President Bush has said that he wants diplomacy to solve this but that nothing is ruled out. (Read: "Yes")

There have been press reports that Israel, which bombed an Iraqi reactor in 1981, has begun the planning for a possible raid. Like the US, Israel says that diplomacy is the priority. [/i]

(http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4031603.stm)

[Tulameen]

It has been a full year since Iran first came into the prophecy spotlight. A story ran last week on the BBC news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4905918.stm that is pertinent.

A number of prophecy websites are linking this new development with the final stages before Middle East Meltdown.

For example, the website "Bible Prophecy.net" states in big, blue letters:

IRAN WAR!!!
The current administration in the US is giving off all kinds of warnings about Iran's nuclear capabilities. You can hear the saber-rattling in the background.
The Bible says there is a war coming, between the US and Iran. The consequences will be devastating to the US...

The "Left Behind" site (leftbehind.com) states:

...ccording to God's Word, the Iranians will join with Turkey, the nations of Central Asia, Libya, Sudan, and Russia to invade Israel in the end-times. By the way, Iran is one of the nations included in President Bush's "axis of evil" along with North Korea and Iraq. I hardly have to say much to convince anyone today that Iran is an archenemy of Israel and the West. Iran is considered by many to be the number one rogue nation in the world.

At the A.S.K. website, in a long but worth-reading article by E.L. Martin, a less urgent tone is adopted:

A number of major events must take place in the region of Iran prior to the Second Coming of Christ. At present I do not see these in action. They will occur however. In fact the events that are taking place may well be a prelude to these major events, but what is happening at present, as I see it in the Scripture, is not revealed absolutely. Confusion in Iran at the present time shows that End Time events are not presently being conducted there or in the Middle East. They are leading up to it.

askelm.com/prophecy/p060401.htm

[Tulameen]

A top US diplomat has said he expects European states to prepare a binding UN resolution on Iran's nuclear programme that could allow for sanctions.

US Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns was speaking ahead of Paris talks between all five permanent members of the UN Security Council on the issue.

But he insisted that diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis were not over.

A UN report last week said Iran was violating a Security Council order to suspend uranium enrichment.

Iran insists its nuclear programme is peaceful.

The US, Britain and France are pressing for a Security Council resolution that will order Iran to suspend enrichment.


IRAN CRISIS: NEXT STEPS
2 May: Negotiators from US, Russia, China, UK, France and Germany meet in Paris
3 May: Possible Security Council meeting to discuss IAEA report
9 May: Foreign ministers from US, Russia, China, UK, France and Germany meet at UN

But, China and Russia are yet to support such a resolution and are opposed to sanctions against Iran.

"I think what we will see unfold [following Tuesday's talks] is that European governments will put forward... some form of Chapter 7 resolution, and we'll discuss the form of it," Mr Burns said.

"We believe there can be a diplomatic solution to the problem... We are focusing on diplomacy," he added.

Chapter 7 Security Council resolutions are binding on all UN members, but do not automatically lead to sanctions or military action. Further decisions would be needed for such measures.

Before a Chapter 7 resolution is passed, the Council has to agree that there is a threat to "international peace and security".

'Against sanctions'

The expectation is that, if Russia and China do agree to join western nations in ordering Iran to comply with the demands of the UN nuclear watchdog for a "full and sustained suspension" of its enrichment activities, they would not agree to threatening sanctions, at least not at this stage, the BBC world affairs correspondent Paul Reynolds says.


HAVE YOUR SAY
Coordinated international diplomacy is the only way forward
Nick, Cambridge, UK
Iranian Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki said earlier Russia and China had told Iran they were "against sanctions and military attacks".

"There is a very wrong assumption held by some that the West can do anything it wants through the Security Council," he told Tehran newspaper Kayhan.

Iran has said already that it will dismiss any UN resolution regarding its nuclear programme.

Growing pressure

The Paris talks between the five permanent Council members, as well as Germany, come ahead of a 9 May meeting in New York of foreign ministers from the top Council nations.

Officials say the diplomatic route has still a long way to run.

However, there is growing anxiety about the apparently fading prospects of making Tehran stop uranium enrichment - and of the risk of US military action if it fails to do so.

An IAEA report on Friday said that Iran had failed to comply with a 30-day Security Council deadline to stop uranium enrichment.

On Tuesday, Iran's atomic energy chief said Tehran had enriched uranium to 4.8% - which experts say is a low level used in atomic power reactors.

Iran on Monday strongly criticised the US at the UN, accusing Washington of threatening to launch a military strike against its nuclear facilities.

US President George W Bush has refused to rule out military action against Iran, but has repeatedly insisted that the dispute be resolved diplomatically.
Story from BBC NEWS:
news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/4965264.stm

Published: 2006/05/02 13:23:41 GMT

© BBC MMVI

[Tulameen]

Chavez: Tehran Not Seeking Nukes

BRUSSELS, Belgium, May 15--The European Union is preparing to make a ’bold’ offer to Iran, including possible security guarantees, to persuade Tehran to curb its atomic plans, the bloc’s foreign policy chief said Monday.

Javier Solana made the comment ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers including the so-called EU-3--Britain, France and Germany--tasked with trying to defuse the West’s diplomatic standoff with the Islamic state.

“It will be a generous package, a bold package, that will contain issues relating to nuclear, economic matters, and maybe, if necessary, security matters,“ Solana said.
“We are preparing a package (so) that it will be difficult for them to say no if what they really want is energy,“ he said.

The United States is seeking sanctions from the UN Security Council but it has failed to win support for the move and has given its European allies “a couple of weeks“ to draft a fresh approach.
The EU, whose package must also satisfy Russia and China, has until May 19--when negotiators from the Security Council’s five permanent members plus Germany meet in London--to complete its work.

Meanwhile, Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez said on Monday that he does not believe Iran’s nuclear program is a front for secret efforts to produce an atomic bomb.

“I don’t believe that the United States or anyone else has the right...to prohibit that a country has nuclear energy,“ Chavez said at a news conference with London’s mayor. “How many countries in the world have nuclear energy? Unfortunately, Venezuela doesn’t have it.“
Chavez added, “I’m certain the Iranians are not developing a nuclear weapon.“

Chavez, who is on a private visit to Britain, also repeated a warning that any military strike against Iran would send the price of crude oil soaring above US$100 a barrel. The current rate is around US$70 a barrel.

www.iran-daily.com/1385/2563/html/