Russia - No New Iran Sanctions

By Cernig

Recall how Bush administration officials have been saying that the Iran NIE back in December hadn't dampened international unity and resolve regarding Iran's nuclear program?

Umm, not so much.

Russia said Wednesday a draft U.N. resolution on Iran's disputed nuclear program does not call for any harsh sanctions...Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the draft encourages countries to be vigilant in their dealings with Iran to prevent the illegal transfer of nuclear material, but it ``does not foresee any harsh sanctions.''

``It calls for countries to be vigilant while maintaining trade and economic and transport and other ties with Iran so that they are not used for the transfer of forbidden nuclear material,'' he said at a news conference a day after the draft was approved by the five permanent Security Council members and Germany.

These terms ``will be enforced until the International Atomic Energy Agency's concerns are resolved,'' Lavrov said, referring to the U.N.'s nuclear monitoring agency.

Rather than a signal that the US and its closest allies have to make a stronger argument using actual evidence before they can even justify sanctions, the "bomb Iran" crowd will, doubtless, take this as a new clarion call for unilateral aggression. Unfortunately, hardline Iranian bombast to the effect that they don't care what the UNSC says anyway won't help convince them otherwise. Two sets of radical hotheads, on a collision course and taking their nations and the world with them.