US another try at consensus on anti-Iran resolution
Iran-UN, Politics, 5/8/2006

The United States has invited 14 members of the UN Security Council to attend a meeting here Monday night to try again to achieve a consensus on a draft resolution legally obliging Iran to freeze its nuclear activities.

The meeting is at the invitation of the US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and comes after Saturday's fruitless meeting of the five permanent member states of the Security Council -- China, Russia, Britain, France and the United States -- in New York.

A draft resolution prepared by France and Britain on May 3 presenting Washington's demand that Iran stop its peaceful nuclear activities is to be discussed in the Security Council on Tuesday.

The five permanent members of the Security Council and its 15 members have held several meetings on Iran's nuclear case, but to date no common ground has been found.

Earlier, US Ambassador to the UN John Bolton expressed hope the foreign ministers of the Securty Council's five permanent members would adopt a draft resolution before the dinner banquet that is to be held in New York tonight hosted by US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana will be attending the meeting tonight.

Russia and China, two of the five veto-wielding members of the Security Council, are against provisions in the draft resolution that invoke Chapter 7 of the UN Charter paving the way for the imposition of sanctions and even military action on Iran.

Moscow and Beijing are against sanctions or a resolution under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter to justify use of force to pressure Iran as insisted by Washington.

The two countries believe the resolution invoking Chapter 7 of the UN Charter as insisted by the US and prepared by Britain and France, if passed, would give these countries express permission to immediately impose sanctions or even military action on Iran without any further Security Council decision.

Washington's UN ambassador has said the US could work outside the UN against Iran if the draft resolution failed to pass in the Security Council.

Tanzania, Argentina, Congo, Denmark, Ghana, Greece, Japan, Peru, Qatar and Slovakia are the 10 non-permanent members of the Security Council who will decide the fate of the draft resolution along with the council's five permanent members.

A resolution presented before the Security Council, in order to pass, needs 9 votes in favor and no veto.

Iran's Defense Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar said yesterday "The United States is against the progress and development of Iran. It has endangered freedom, independence, tranquility and security of the Iranian nation over the past 50 years through its colonial policies... US tricks, threats and unusual pressures on the United Nations Security Council to force it to impose sanctions and conduct military action (against Iran), showed the warmongering nature of the US leaders."

By opposing the reference to Chapter 7 of the UN Charter in the draft resolution, Washington has put the ball in Russia's court and called on the country's ambassador to present a resolution that will have a mandatory character but without resorting to Chapter 7.

For the past three years Russia has given no explicit response to the US call made by Bolton.

Previous Stories:
  US efforts at Security Council against Iran nuclear issue   (5/6/2006)
  Ahmadinejad: Iran would change policy in sanctions are ever adopted   (5/5/2006)
  Iran nuclear activities within treaty rights   (5/3/2006)
  Iran nuclear activities within treaty rights   (5/3/2006)
  Differences in Security Council on nuclear Iran   (5/1/2006)

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