Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Russia squeezes Iran
As annoying as Russia has been in the last couple of years, I never took much stock in the idea that it would ever gain a real foothold in Iran. The Iranians have a detailed, if distorted, command of their own history. If there is one power in the world that they have more reason to mistrust than the United States and Britain, it is Russia (remember that the Iranian hostage-takers briefly debated grabbing the Soviet embassy rather than the American in 1979 -- imagine how different the world would be today if they had). In that regard, we have occasionally reported on the accounting dispute that has stood between Iran and a completed heavy-water reactor. Apparently the Islamo-Commie divide on fiscal matters has been particularly difficult to bridge.
Now Russia has abandoned even the breach-of-contract pretense and is squeezing Iran overtly.
Russia has informed Iran that it will withhold nuclear fuel for Iran’s nearly completed Bushehr power plant unless Iran suspends its uranium enrichment as demanded by the United Nations Security Council, European, American and Iranian officials said.
The ultimatum was delivered in Moscow last week by Igor Ivanov, Russia’s Security Council Secretary, to Ali Hosseini Tash, Iran’s deputy chief nuclear negotiator, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because a confidential diplomatic exchange between two governments was involved.
Since I'm in a political rather than geopolitical mood today, is this not a significant diplomatic coup for the supposedly incompetant Bush administration? After all, as the New York Times points out, President Bush has been pressing President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia to cut off help to Iran on the nuclear reactor "for years."
The White House, I'm sure, awaits with bated breath the forthcoming heaps of praise from the mainstream media.
6 Comments:
By 
, at
Tue Mar 20, 01:10:00 PM:
housekeeping
Lex's Law:
As the number of posts grows on a topic the more Adolf Hitlers unruly bangs droop.
By 
D.E. Cloutier, at
Tue Mar 20, 01:26:00 PM:
Re: Iran and Russia
Running from wolves, Iran ran into a bear.
By D.E. Cloutier, at
Tue Mar 20, 02:30:00 PM:
Meanwhile, the game continues. The Voice of America reports today:
"Russia is denying a U.S. newspaper report that Moscow delivered an ultimatum to Iran on its nuclear program.
"The New York Times Tuesday said Russia told Iran it will withhold fuel for a nearly completed nuclear power plant, unless Tehran suspends enriching uranium.
"However, Russia's ambassador to the United Nations, Vitaly Churkin, said the report was not accurate and that Russia has delivered no ultimatums to Iran. Churkin said Russia does not link the fuel issue for the nuclear power plant it is building at Bushehr in southern Iran with the issue of sanctions on Iran's nuclear program."
More at:
http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-03-20-voa9.cfm
By , at
Tue Mar 20, 03:14:00 PM:
Who does Churkin think he is, Jaques Chirac? :)
The Russians are, no doubt, playing both ends against the middle. But... by leading the Iranians down the path of building a reactor for them, then playing cute with fueling it, they (the Russians) have revealed their (Iranian's) true intentions. It would be fun to be in the room where these guys are going to be haggling over this issue.
I think the Iranians are running WITH wolves.
By Jason Pappas, at
Tue Mar 20, 05:42:00 PM:
Hmmm. We announce plans to put anti-missile systems in East Europe to counter the growing threat from Iran and Russia acts. Hmmm.
By Cardinalpark, at
Tue Mar 20, 06:17:00 PM:
