From the International Herald Tribune:
Paris - In a stark ultimatum, President Jacques Chirac of France warned Iran on Monday that it would face censure by the United Nations Security Council if it did not reinstate a freeze on sensitive nuclear activities under an agreement reached last November.In his annual speech to France's ambassadors at Élysée Palace, Chirac made clear that he was losing his patience with Iran, even as he urged its leaders to accept an offer of incentives by France, Britain and Germany in exchange for an indefinite freeze of its uranium conversion and enrichment activities.
"Today I call on the Iranian authorities to choose the path of cooperation and confidence by carefully examining this offer and resuming their commitment to suspend activities related to the production of fissile materials," Chirac said. He added: "There is room for dialogue and negotiation. We call on Iran's spirit of responsibility to restore cooperation and confidence, failing which the Security Council will have no choice but to take up the issue."
France's foreign minister, Philippe Douste-Blazy, has also given Iran sharp warnings, but this is the first time that Chirac has clearly stated that Iran would face possible censure or even sanctions in the Security Council if it does not reinstate its freeze.
In taking such a tough line, Chirac sends a clear signal to Iran's newly elected conservative president and new nuclear negotiating team that France has moved closer to the position of the United States, which has long held that Iran's case belonged in the Security Council.The Iran case has become more urgent following Iran's resumption of uranium conversion at its plant in Isfahan earlier this month and the breakdown of its talks with the three European countries, under the auspices of the European Union.
Iran also rejected the European offer for a range of economic, political, security and technological incentives in exchange for permanently freezing its programs to produce enriched uranium, which can be used for either peaceful nuclear energy or in weapons programs.
Iran has declared - correctly - that its nuclear activities are allowed under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, but Chirac has long made clear in conversations with world leaders, including President George W. Bush, that he believes Iran is intent on developing nuclear weapons.
"The use of civilian nuclear energy, which is perfectly legitimate, must not serve as a pretext for pursing activities that could actually be aimed at building up a military nuclear arsenal," Chirac said.Chirac also said that France would live up to its commitments to Turkey regarding its right to start negotiations in October for EU membership...
Paris - In a stark ultimatum, President Jacques Chirac of France warned Iran on Monday that it would face censure by the United Nations Security Council if it did not reinstate a freeze on sensitive nuclear activities under an agreement reached last November.
Oh no, not censure by that UN. Anything but that! Please, no. Have mercy! Take away their diplomatic license plates, their reserved parking spots in downtown Manhattan, but not censure!
Does anyone think that France, Russia or China are going to allow any sort of meaningful action against iran, and the crazies that run it? These 3 have the veto at the Security Council, and the General Assembly is a waste of time and money.
Pardon me while I laugh!
Sadly enough, Cox and Forkum turned out to be prophetically right in depicting the Western World as a backboneless man saying that he's "going to get really mad", if Iran doesn't halt the development of nuclear weapons. While the US and Israel might actually take action that will fend off this graves threat, things never goes beyond words in Europe.
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dolphin, CAGE co-founder.
http://www.acage.org
Within striking distance of Paris ?
Even an idiot like Chiraq can do the math. Fortunately France also has an air force that can still deliver. The sooner the bettor.
If France pushes in the UN something might happen. The status quo is intolerable with a loose cannon Iran. Who will veto ?
Censure! Iran's government must be quaking in its shoes. Why, after censure there may even be a motion in the General Assembly! Someone might even write a letter in Le Monde or the Times!
What might prompt some attention from the mullahs and their muttonhead of government is a map of how Iran's military and population centers can be destroyed while leaving its oilfields and pipelines intact.
chsw
Censure! Wow, can you beat that. That's how Chirac gets tough? Censure by the UN is like saying to an alcoholic that he can only get drunk once a day.
Europe will never get it!
Interesting how the U.N. is doing a wonderful job of setting up Iran for a good full-body check by the U.S. After all, Iraq had TONS of U.N. censures thrown at it, and once it was diffinitively shown that Iraq wouldn't give in, the U.S. was able to lay the evidence that Sadam wasn't playing ball and have nothing but the naysayers whines behind them as they rolled into Bahgdad(sp?).
So to Chirac I say, "Censure away!"
No, No not the Chirac censure. Please.
Its worse than being mauled by a dead sheep.
Fool To Himself & Burden To Others:
"No, No not the Chirac censure. Please.
Its worse than being mauled by a dead sheep."
Can I use that? Excellent!
France. A country that did not recognize Jews as being full-citizens with full-rights under the law until 1798.
A country that all the way up to 1946 throughout their history, did not allow women the right to vote.
But hey, Islam's the evil religion.