UN Votes For Sanctions On Iran

[Updated on 12/25/06 with link to Resolution 1737.]

On December 23, 2006, the UN Security Council voted for further sanctions on Iran (Resolution 1737). Thus far, I have not had any luck actually finding that document; however, from reading the various articles and watching the Security Council member statements regarding the resolution, some points are clear. The resolution bans shipment of various materials to Iran, freezes the assets of various companies and individuals, and creates a "watchlist" of individuals whose travel is to be monitored and reported.

In watching the C-SPAN coverage of the meeting what was most telling was the constantly repeated remark that this was a non-military resolution meant to be a starting place for negotiations. Further, most of the Security Council members specifically supported Iran's right to development of nuclear materials for civilian purposes.

Last to speak was Iran's Ambassador to the United Nations Javad Zarif. [Link to full pdf version of Dr. Zarif's remarks - link 1 or link 2.]

Dr. Zarif's fully sourced statement was informative. He points out that Iran has never even threatened to use "nuclear" force, yet it is being sanction. However, Israel recently stated it does have nuclear arms and threatened to use them. However, there are no sanctions on Israel.

He goes on to detail the inaction on the part of the UN security council to help Iran essentially from the US coup which placed the Shah in power, through Iraq's use of chemical weapons against Iran. He points out, but does not name names, about who supplied the materials for those weapons.

Zarif makes a compelling case that the negotiations have never been honest, and that the purpose of the sanctions are not to reach a resolution of the difficulties. Instead, he argues that the purpose of the sanctions is to get Iran to abandon its rights under the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT):

"And now you see why the United States and EU3 never even took the trouble of studying various Iranian proposals: they were - from the very beginning - bent on abusing this Council and the threat of referral and sanctions as an instrument of pressure to compel Iran to abandon the exercise of its NPT guaranteed right to peaceful nuclear technology.

It is now an open secret that their sole objective from the negotiations has always been to impose and then prolong and perpetuate the suspension of Iran's right in line with their arbitrary and fluctuating red lines. Finding solutions was not even among their objectives." (page 4 of statement)

Of critical importance in Zarif's statement are his comments on the US Intelligence Committee's report on August 23, 2006.

"Or take a look at the August 23rd staff report of the Intelligence Committee of the US House of Representatives on Iran's nuclear program.30 That report was so dangerously misleading and illustrating the extent to which some war-mongers are prepared to go, that it compelled the IAEA to officially dispute its allegations against Iran. In its letter, the IAEA called parts of the report "outrageous and dishonest," containing "incorrect and misleading assertions" and offered evidence to refute its central claims. The Agency stressed that the report even serious distorted IAEA findings on Iran's nuclear activities. 31" (His cited source a Guardian article IAEA says Congress report on Iran's nuclear capacity is erroneous and misleading)

It was clear, that Iran is concerned about the actions of both the United States and Israel. Zarif's statement was one largely aimed at "correcting to the record."

In watching the Naval buildup in the Persian Gulf, and the comments that sanctions are not "tough enough" and that the U.S. will attempt to encourage individual nations to enact "stronger penalties individually," (BBC 12/24/06) Iran has every reason to be concerned.

I encourage people to watch what is happening with Iran with a great deal of care. I would also closely watch the plans for a U.S. troop "surge" in Iraq. The rhetoric has been flying high regarding Iran for almost three years. There seems to be an effort to "spin" how much of a threat (if any) Iran poses - at this time or any time in the near future. I also encourage a full reading of Javad Zarif's statement to the UN Security Council. It is only eight pages long.

In the news
12/23/06 UN News Centre, Security Council imposes sanctions on Iran over uranium enrichment

12/23/06 Leopold & Arieff, The Star, U.N. imposes nuclear trade sanctions on Iran

12/23/06 CTV, UN security council approves sanctions on Iran

12/23/06 Lederer, Canada.com, Final draft of UN Iran sanctions resolution circulated before Saturday vote

12/23/06 Burns, US State Department, Conference Call on UN Sanctions Resolution 1737

12/24/06 Beaumont & Tait, Guardian, UN sanctions hit Iran after call by Bush

Good Source of Documents on Iran: Timeline, sources, links, video/audio, by Charles Judson Harwood Jr.

Posted by rowan at December 23, 2006 7:59 PM | [eMail this article!] |