Posted on 09/18/2007 6:40:00 PM PDT by blam
Russia and China warn against war with Iran
By David Blair, Diplomatic Correspondent
Last Updated: 2:33am BST 19/09/2007
Russia and China have criticised France's foreign minister Bernard Kouchner for talking of "war" with Teheran.
Bernard Kouchner [left] was rebuked by Sergei Lavrov [right] over his hawkish Iran remarks
After meeting his French counterpart in Moscow, Sergei Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister, gave warning of the possible consequences of any military strike designed to disable Iran's nuclear programme.
"We are convinced that no modern problem has a military solution, and that applies to the Iranian nuclear programme as well," said Mr Lavrov.
"We are seriously concerned about increasingly frequent reports that military action against Iran is being seriously considered."
Mr Lavrov added that Russia supported the recent agreement reached between Iran and nuclear inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Earlier, China's foreign ministry also criticised Mr Kouchner for raising the possibility of war.
"We believe the best option is to peacefully resolve the Iranian nuclear issue through diplomatic negotiations, which is in the common interests of the international community," said Jiang Yu, an official spokesman.
"We do not approve of easily resorting to threatening use of force in international affairs."
America is now pressing for another UN Resolution which would tighten economic sanctions on Iran.
The trigger for this move was Teheran's continued enrichment of uranium, a process which could give Iran the essential material for a nuclear bomb.
While Russia and China have already supported two earlier sanctions resolutions, both are signaling that their support for a third cannot be taken for granted.
America is aiming to put a draft Resolution before the Security Council later this month.
President Nicolas Sarkozy has toughened France's approach towards Teheran and the rhetoric from Paris is now almost as hawkish as anything emerging from Washington.
Yesterday, Mr Kouchner called for tougher 'precise' sanctions against the Islamic Republic's nuclear programme.
However, the French foreign minister also said that "everything should be done to avoid war."
"War is the worst that could happen," he said. "Everything should be done to avoid war. We have to negotiate, negotiate, negotiate - without cease, without rebuff."
The five permanent members of the Security Council are now divided between America, Britain and France, who all back tougher sanctions on Iran, and Russia and China, who are openly sceptical.
If another sanctions resolution is passed, it may be a relatively weak measure imposing penalties on specific Iranian companies linked to the nuclear programme - not the economy as a whole.
America has imposed unilateral sanctions on Iran.
Urged on by Britain and France, the European Union may well do the same. At present, EU countries support trade with Iran with some £9 billion of export credits.
These are likely to be restricted and European investment in Iran curtailed.
Never thought I would say it...but...GO FRANCE!!! LOL
By the time the Olympics role around next year, China may be the only nation attending. Well, I guess their brides maid Russia might show up.
My guess is they have new intel on what Iran is up to. hence the tough talk.
Russian and China to the US and France: “Don’t f*ck with one of our best customers”.
No joke!! Who would want to go there other than Russia? I am questioning every ‘made in China’ thing in my home now.
Putting my tin hat on now, but I wonder if the dramatic rise in autism(in particular), ADD and the various forms of learning disabilities affecting American children over the last ten years are really due to LEAD POISONING..compliments of China!! Do the Chinese children play with the same toys that they have shipped here full of lead?
What better way to disarm the World’s ‘superpower’ than by ‘taking out’ a generation or so of her children...our future?
1 in 155 children now suffer from autism. That is an astonishing statistic. Lead poisoning can affect emotional, mental and physical development and mimic autism. If I had an autistic or ADD child, I would immediately demand a lead poison test!
Oh well..sorry for the rant...LOL. Makes you wonder though.
Ho Hum.
We will not wait for it to pass.
Things are moving way to fast for the UN to catch up.
Its like Iraq all over again, with the Russians clumping about internationally warning the US not to act to protect the interests of the Western World?
Let them warn all they want. They can't do bumpkis, except poison people individually, and deal nuclear technology to Islamofascists under the table.
I hope President Bush has the wisdom to take out Iran's nuclear development facilities, level them.
That will put paid to the Chinese/Russian nuke sales to the Iranians.
And it will likely save the world as we know it.
I neither include or exclude anything regarding China. It will be revealed over time what it’s true nature has been over the last decade or two.
In short, you’re not crazy.
If as I suspect Hsu got funding from China, it will once again make it perfectly clear what their intentions have been and still are.
I always thought American liberals and Western Europeans had a death wish. The Russians make them look like quintessential self preservasionists.
"We believe the best option is to peacefully resolve the Iranian nuclear issue through diplomatic negotiations, which is in the common interests of the international community," said Jiang Yu, an official spokesman.
"We do not approve of easily resorting to threatening use of force in international affairs."
So I guess that means that the PRC will soon remove its missiles from across the Taiwan Strait?
Seems to me a that a massive air strike on Iran now is a good thing. Better to call the PRC's bluff now while they are still weak militarily and we are at full strength. Sooner or later we will end up fighting them anyway, especially once Iran becomes a full member of the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization).
We are convinced that no modern problem has a military solution, and that applies to the Iranian nuclear programme as well,” said Mr Lavrov.
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“I believe he thinks this [war against Iraq] is a war that can be won, but there is no such thing anymore.”
“We can’t beat anyone anymore.”
- George Clooney
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Things that make you go HMMmmmmmmmm....
Let’s see who will blink first this time. The Chinese and Russians pulled the same trick during the Korean War and the War in Vietnam.
I don’t think Bush is LBJ, and MacNamara is long gone.
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