| FrontPageMag.com | By Robert Spencer | By Hugh Fitzgerald | Books | Dhimmi Watch | Islam 101 | Qur'an Blog | Raymond Ibrahim | Robert Spencer |  |
|
|
|||||||||||
|
|
More suspensions of aid from the International Atomic Energy Agency, though with obvious room for more in order to go beyond mainly symbolic protests of Iran's nuclear program. "IAEA halts aid on projects with Tehran," by George Jahn for Associated Press:
VIENNA, Austria - The U.N. nuclear watchdog agency on Friday suspended nearly half of the technical aid it now provides Iran, in line with sanctions imposed on the country for its refusal to suspend uranium enrichment.
As IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei issued the report to his agency's 35-nation board, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator abruptly canceled meetings both with ElBaradei in Vienna and with senior European leaders in Munich, on the sidelines of a security conference in the German city.
Organizers of the Munich conference said negotiator Ali Larijani canceled because of an unspecified illness, whereas IAEA officials said they were told he was not coming for "technical reasons."
"The official explanation is that he got sick," said Horst Teltschik, the Munich conference organizer.
[...]
The Vienna-based IAEA already suspended aid to Iran in five instances last month in line with Security Council sanctions calling for an end to assistance for programs that could be misused to make atomic weapons. Diplomats emphasized that the freeze was temporary and subject to review and approval by the 35-nation board of the IAEA next month.
On Friday, the agency fully or partially suspended another 18 projects that it deemed could be misused. Those too were subject to review and approval by the board.
Iran gets IAEA technical aid for 15 projects and 40 more that involve other countries. The suspensions were across the board but in the case of projects involving other countries affected only Iran.
A diplomat familiar with the issue said the United States — along with key allies — had been looking to have up to half of the projects involving only Iran canceled, restricted or more closely monitored.
[...]
Russian and Chinese reluctance to impose harsh sanctions on Tehran — as initially demanded by Washington — have created the greatest pressures. Both nations share economic and strategic interests with Iran.
Differences over how severely to punish Tehran for its refusal to suspend enrichment led to months of disputes before agreement was reached in December on a Security Council resolution imposing limited sanctions that fell short of the harsher measures sought by the Americans.
The sanctions include a review of technical aid to Iran — programs meant to bolster the peaceful use of nuclear energy in medicine, agriculture or power generation.
Posted by Marisol at February 9, 2007 7:17 PM
Print this entry
| Email this entry
| Digg this
| del.icio.us
"Up to half" of the aid has been suspended? What's wrong with "all"?
What Iranian nuclear projects are there that CANNOT be misused to make atomic weapons?
![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jihadwatch.org/nav-commenters.gif)
at February 9, 2007 7:27 PM
Isn't the IAEA suspending half the aid to a terrorist state like only imprisoning a rapist and letting it out to rape on weekends?
How about they suspend all aid and let Iran have Hans Blix and ElBaradei. They are repulsive enough that Iran won't need nukes.
Posted by: Lame Cherry at February 9, 2007 7:45 PM
Okay, I take back what I said about the IAEA.
Their testicles CAN be seen by a scanning tunnel microscope.
Fuzzy and difficult to make out, but definitely visible to the trained eye.
Posted by: Snippet at February 9, 2007 7:51 PM
Norway also announced today that they will impose sanctions. Russia and China continue to oppose at every step!
at February 9, 2007 8:18 PM
"...nearly half...temporary...subject to review...partially suspended"
I wonder if Tehran is terrified by this "threat"? Maybe it will humiliate them, and force them to become radicalized. Is it too late to call it off?
Posted by: special_guest at February 9, 2007 8:39 PM
Our relations with Russia and China are much too cordial. Just because they've allowed some private investment, we tolerate their helping the worst terrorist states.
It just goes to show that much of the opposition to Communism was over money, not human rights.
at February 9, 2007 8:55 PM
Having someone named for the illiterate, paedophile, terrorist, murdering demon be a "watchdog" over iran's satanic nuclear ambitions should work out Real Good Like.
I'm sure bush and the multi-talented and accomplished cia are all over this one.
Takbir!
Posted by: Arm A. Geddon at February 9, 2007 9:40 PM
When we look at this argument, it all smells of money, and lots of it. As we go forward with imposing sanctions, inflation will drive everything higher and higher. If we get pissed at Russia or China or both, it only affects our pocket books....not a good picture is it ?
Posted by: Jeff at February 9, 2007 9:58 PM
Anyone who believes that a follower of the Muhammedan belief-system will protect us from the nuclear threat of the Islamo-fascists is not quite right in the head.
How could we ever allow our 'leaders' to let things slide into such a swamp of deception, corruption and debauchery?
Posted by: sheik yer'mami at February 10, 2007 12:29 AM
Giving $1.00 to Iran for anything is a scandal! I don't suppose our "Crawls on Belly" State Dept or "Clueless in Head" Congress will investigate this. Osama's problem is that he doesn't have a country of his very own yet. If he did, then the UN (generously supported by the U.S.) would give him aid to develop WMD.
BTW, got my weekly NCSE news update today. You won't believe who the French Muslim creationists are blaming for the World Trade Center attack.
Islamic Creationism in France
at February 10, 2007 1:44 AM
islam has got new friends such as communist russia and china which were an enemy of islam at one time.the combination of russia,china and islam can be very deadly and must be fought with.i predict that in near future evil forces of russia,china and islam will combine to form the anti west block with the main goal of defeating u.s and the west and murdering infidels.although i think islam cannot make any friends but to defeat common enemy u.s it will join russia and china and after sometime islam will wage a war against russia and china because basically islam is neither compatible with socialism,communism or capitalism and has just one goal of making the world an islamic caliphate wherein there will be only muslims ruled by the draconian sharia law made by the prophet of terror-mohammed and sanctioned by allahuakbar.
Posted by: anti islamocommunist at February 10, 2007 3:00 AM
The key to dealing with the Psychotic and his nuclear dreams is in Moscow. Putin and Russia must be given a good deal. Russia lost its empire when the Soviet Union collapsed. Russia's borders returned to those of 1600 practically overnight and 400 years of Russian history were undone. Putin called that a "geopolitical disaster" for Russia. It was that for Russia.
Putin is a Russian nationalist who has been using Iran to get some leverage with the US in an attempt to gain back some of Russian's former sphere of influence (Ukraine, e.g.). I think if we play our cards right and back off with the Make Benefit Great Democracy Project in Iraq, Russia and World, we will get in touch with reality and the Psychotic and Iran will be rapidly defanged and contained.
The psychotic knows that it is not in Russia's interest for Iran to become a nuclear power. When we give Putin and Russia a good deal geopolitically and by buying Russian oil, the psychotic-in-Iran can kiss his ass goodbye. Time is running out for the psychotic. He has to go and he will go in the not too distant future as Putin gets what he wants for Russia.
Posted by: Frank at February 10, 2007 7:18 AM
Apologize if this has already been posted, but it is a decent article speculating on the ramping up of a possible strike against Iran:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/iran/story/0,,2010086,00.html
If they are considering a tactical operation like this I can only hope their intel is one hundred times better than it has been in the past, simply for targeting information.
It's a pity Papa Smirk and the bumblers were not focused on this country initially, and stayed on the job in Afghanistan.
Posted by: amana39 at February 10, 2007 8:32 AM
Why would the IAEA be providing Iran with technical aid?
Are we that stupid?
Posted by: sounder at February 10, 2007 1:10 PM
Comments are turned off and archived for this entry.
(Note: The Comments section is provided in the interests of free speech only. It is mostly unmoderated, but comments that are off-topic, offensive, slanderous, or otherwise annoying stand a chance of being deleted. The fact that any comment remains on the site IN NO WAY constitutes an endorsement by Jihad Watch or Dhimmi Watch, or by Robert Spencer or any other Jihad Watch or Dhimmi Watch writer, of any view expressed, fact alleged, or link provided in that comment.)