US continues efforts to gather support against Iran
Iran-USA, Politics, 4/29/2006

US President George W. Bush says the United States is prepared to launch a vigorous diplomatic campaign aimed at confronting Iran's nuclear ambitions following the April 28 release of a report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that said Iran is refusing to stop nuclear enrichment, which Iran asserts it is allowed to do under the Non Proliferation Treaty.

Bush said "It's very important for the Iranians to understand there's a common desire by a lot of nations in this world to convince them, peacefully convince them, that they ought to give up their weapons ambitions."

US Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton told reporters in New York that the United States is ready to take the next step in the Security Council and draft a Chapter 7 resolution, which ultimately could allow for punitive measures if Iran does not comply.

He said the council should act urgently given Iran's ongoing efforts to acquire nuclear weapons capabilities. He said diplomats would begin discussing the council's next move early the week of May 1, but he refused to speculate how long it might take to achieve a consensus.

Bolton said Iran clearly constitutes a threat to international peace and security, which is the criterion for issuing a Chapter 7 UN resolution. He said Iran's research on uranium metal, a material used for nuclear warheads, its long-range ballistic missile program and its obstruction of the IAEA are all evidence that the nuclear program is aimed at weapons production.

Bolton said that the resolution likely would not dictate or foreshadow any future action on the part of the Security Council but that diplomats already have begun considering how targeted sanctions on individuals and dual-use materials might be applied. The United States, Bolton said, hopes to achieve unanimity on the Security Council but is prepared to move ahead regardless.

He said there is still time for Iran to reverse course on its strategic policy but that the international community would not wait indefinitely. "We're prepared to continue to work in the council, but certainly not for an unlimited period of time," he said.

Worth noting that even if the US unsupported allegations against Iran are true about Iran's intentions to develop nuclear weapons from its civil nuclear technology, and Iran has denied these allegations and its facility has been under international monitoring to this effect, the top official in the United States in charge of all US intelligence departments, said days ago that Iran, if it is seeking nuclear weapons development, can be as far a decade away from such capabilities. Various US intelligence reports, such as ones cited by the Washington Post in the past had echoed the same sentiment. John Negroponte, the Director of the US National Intelligence, on April 20th told the National Press Club putting Iran's technical capabilities into perspective, that Iran will have to enrich uranium for several more years before it has enough fissile material to put into a nuclear weapon. Although intelligence analysts continue to believe that Iran is determined to acquire a nuclear weapons capability, Negroponte said, they believe it might not achieve that goal until "perhaps into the next decade."

Previous Stories:
  Supreme Leader: Iran will retaliate US attack two times stronger   (4/26/2006)
  Iranian officials says Bush threats not taken seriously   (4/25/2006)
  Iran's FM criticizes US policies on Iraq   (4/24/2006)

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