US efforts at Security Council against Iran nuclear issue
Iran-UN, Politics, 5/6/2006

The UN Security Council premenant members led by the US are due to meet Monday to finalize proposed draft resolution against Iran's nuclear issue.

The spokesman to US State Department, Sean McCormack, said on Thursday that the UNSC member states should be strict about approving the resolution against Iran.

Speaking to reporters in Washington, he hoped that voting on the resolution will take place soon.

"All UN SC members know what they should do. The draft of this resolution, quite similar to the declaration issued by the head of UNSC and Board of Governors, is merely based on Chapter 7 of the UN Charter. We believe that now Chapter 7 should be applied," he added.

Under Chapter 7 of the UN charter, a resolution is enforceable. This can be first by use of sanction and under the same chapter 7, also force can be used. It is said that a second resolution can be needed to approve force, if intialy, only sanction are approved. However, the mere passage of a resolution under chapter 7 is in essense getting on a slipery slope. In the case of Iraq, the US after passing a resolution on Iraq, claimed later that it does not need a second resolution, and that it would take action by itself wether the UN Security Council approved a second resolution or not, with the US saying it will act with or without the UN against Iraq.

Here are the relevant parts of the text of Chapter 7 of the UN charter, under which a resolution for sanction or military action can be taken: Chapter 7 states in part that: Article 41: The Security Council may decide what measures not involving the use of armed force are to be employed to give effect to its decisions, and it may call upon the Members of the United Nations to apply such measures. These may include complete or partial interruption of economic relations and of rail, sea, air, postal, telegraphic, radio, and other means of communication, and the severance of diplomatic relations.

Article 42: Should the Security Council consider that measures provided for in Article 41 would be inadequate or have proved to be inadequate, it may take such action by air, sea, or land forces as may be necessary to maintain or restore international peace and security. Such action may include demonstrations, blockade, and other operations by air, sea, or land forces of Members of the United Nations.

This is while France and Britain, as the US allies, drew up the draft of a new resolution which can pave the way for sanctions against Iran.

China and Russia have indicated opposition to military action or sanctions against Iran.

Duma Security Committee Chairman, Viktor Ilyukhin, said US opposition to Iran's peaceful nuclear activities is illegal, and continuation of such a policy would lead to US isolation among most countries of the world.

The US insists it seeks a diplomatic solution to this issue. The US is seen to have scaled back its expectation in light of lack of support for a resolution against Iran that would imply sanctions or military action, by hoping that individual states would themselves and without a resolution would enact sanctions against Iran.

Nonetheless, Commander of the Islamic Revolution's Guard Corps (IRGC) Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi today said Iran and its armed forces are prepared to face the enemies' various scenarios, including political and economic pressures.

Yesterday Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the Iranian nation as the forefront of independent and free nations of the world, and that the Islamic Republic of Iran is the red line of "bullying powers" seeking to stifle the aspirations of freedom-seeking nations, adding that these countries are perfectly aware of this.

Criticizing the "unfair and illegitimate" means used by certain powers to pressure Iran to abandon its nuclear activities, President Ahmadinejad said that Iran had successfully passed the stage of producing nuclear fuel. The Islamic Republic of Iran has mastered the nuclear fuel technology, the Iranian president proudly remarked.

Meantime, Iran's Ambassador to United Nations Mohammad Javad Zarif told C-Span TV that the purpose of Iranian nuclear program is simple: Iran is a country that will become a net importer of energy in a couple of decades.

On Iran's nuclear program military implications, Zarif said "we in fact believe that a nuclear weapons program will not enhance Iran's security. It will in fact be detrimental to our security and the perception that Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapons program is in our view detrimental to our security. Therefore, we have made it very clear that nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction have no place in our defense doctrine and we have been more than willing to cooperate with the international community to remove any doubt as to even the possibility of a weapons program in Iran." He recalled that the IAEA has now been in record at least five or six times that there is no indication of any activity that would direct to an illegal program or weapons program.

Previous Stories:
  Ahmadinejad: Iran would change policy in sanctions are ever adopted   (5/5/2006)
  Iran nuclear activities within treaty rights   (5/3/2006)
  Iran-US talks on Iraq essential: Iraqi MP   (5/2/2006)
  US war threats to Iran aimed at nuclear status   (5/2/2006)
  Differences in Security Council on nuclear Iran   (5/1/2006)

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