These are not the crippling sanctions that will stop Iran
The Council of Foreign Relations' James Lindsay looks at the new sanctions against Iran that were adopted by the United Nations Security Council and concludes that they won't stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons. These are not the crippling sanctions that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had promised about a year ago. To the contrary. As the price of their support, veto-holding members China and Russia insisted that the resolution contain nothing that would impose broad costs on the Iranian economy--or damage Chinese and Russian commercial interests in the country.What could go wrong?
The Obama administration calculates that even a watered-down resolution will put pressure on Tehran to return to the negotiating table. The resolution shows that the Security Council's permanent members remain united in their demand that Iran come clean on its nuclear program, makes it harder for Iran to acquire nuclear technology, and opens the door to additional sanctions by the European Union and others.
Tehran will likely read the resolution's passage differently. The weaker-than-threatened sanctions came only after months of haggling, making the prospect of tougher sanctions down the road look remote. Moreover, Brazil and Turkey voted against new sanctions (and Lebanon abstained). No country had voted against any of the three previous resolutions.
The Brazilian and Turkish dissents highlight a broader shift in the geopolitical environment: A year after being widely condemned for beating and killing protestors who questioned the results of its presidential election, Tehran has regained diplomatic momentum. Last month it was elected to a seat on the UN Commission on the Status of Women, and Brazil and Turkey broke ranks with the United States and the other permanent members to negotiate a deal that would allow Iran to get enriched uranium suitable for medical use.
The expectation that the new sanctions can be beat make it likely that Tehran will respond to the resolution's passage with more defiance and bluster. The Obama administration, for its part, will seek to keep China and Russia behind the sanctions effort and persuade its friends and allies to make the most of the new authorities that the resolution grants.
The end result is that the high-stakes game of chicken over Iran's nuclear program will continue.
Well, plenty. As I understand it, the IDF is expecting a war here sometime in the near future against four combatants: Iran, Syria, Hezbullah and Hamas. It is clear to the IDF that it will have to attack Iran's nuclear capability because - as a friend who is a reservist in an elite unit told me - "Obama's not going to do it."
Last night, we got an automated phone call asking us to get our new gas masks. Fortunately, we did that a couple of weeks ago.
It may yet be a long, hot summer.
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 3:56 PM
2 Comments:
I have the idea that if Israel could they would have already carried out the mission. I hope I'm wrong.
This is simply a hard earned lesson as to the fact we stand alone.
For all our 'supposed' supporters in high places it would be NOTHING to organize a million person march in Washington or NY.
Instead our supporters are fixating on the fact the Jewish voice is faint when in fact that voice is somewhere at less then 'two percent' the American population.
I ask our supporters, in the time you spend fixating in order to divide Jews and prove liberals of all religious spectrum's are worthless plan a million person march to show Obama and the world who means business!!!
Put your words to action!
Prove your undivided support for Israel.
No telling what kind of summer its going to be.
What could go wrong indeed
Post a Comment
<< Home