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When the Obama Administration proclaimed victory on October 1st by announcing that a break-through had been reached in Geneva and that Iran had committed to shipping 2,600 pounds of fuel to Russia, expert Iran watchers were appropriately cynical. Bolton cautioned, yet again, that the Iranians had used some of the same diplomatic nuances they had been using for years to successfully buy more time to continue enriching uranium and fake cooperation with the international community. Usually, the Europeans were the first to take the bait but this time the Obama Administration got hooked first. Bolton, however, was the first to...

It's a sad day for America when you realize the French President has more brass than our Commander in Chief. Obama: “We must never stop until we see the day when nuclear arms have been banished from the face of the earth.” Sarkozy: “We live in the real world, not the virtual world. And the real world expects us to take decisions.”

One of my favorite features of the Newseum in Washington, DC is the daily display of newspaper front pages from around the world. Today, Canada’s National Post was a standout with Alex Spillius’ coverage of a clash between Presidents Obama and Sarkozy.

The fix is in. The transnationalist will abdicate American sovereignty to the OIC controlled UN. Watch. Obama to seal US-UN relationship; First US president to chair Security Council... (hat tip Van) Barack Obama will cement the new co-operative relationship between the US and the United Nations this month when he becomes the first American president to chair its 15-member Security Council. The topic for the summit-level session of the council on September 24 is nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament – one of several global challenges that the US now wants to see addressed at a multinational level. “The council has...

Reuters has an article speculating what might happen with the North Korean ship Kang Nam. Latest news reports suggest the ship is bound for Myanmar, a country unlikely to abide by any United Nations resolution. No one really knows how this might unfold, but based on Obama's comments early last week, I think the ship will not be allowed to complete its journey. These comments in particular describe the policy. Obama said that, in recent years, North Korea's provocations have been "rewarded" as Western countries offered fuel, food and loans in exchange for promises of good behavior that are eventually...

Pyongyang, May 29 (KCNA) -- The DPRK Foreign Ministry issued a statement as regards the UNSC's threat to put additional sanctions against the DPRK, terming its successful nuclear test a violation of the UNSC Resolution 1718.At present, some countries were shocked at the news of the DPRK's second nuclear test. But an exceptional act has its exceptional reason. The recent nuclear test conducted by the DPRK is the 2054th one on the earth. The five permanent members of the UNSC have conducted 99.99 percent of all the nuclear tests.

YEONPYEONG, South Korea -North Korea warned Friday it would act in "self-defense" if provoked by the U.N. Security Council, which is considering tough sanctions over the communist country's nuclear test, and followed the threat with the test launch of another short-range missile. The North fired the missile from its Musudan-ni launch site on the east coast, a South Korean government official said. He spoke on condition of anonymity, citing the sensitivity of the matter. It is the sixth short-range missile North Korea has test-fired since Monday's nuclear test. The official did not provide further details. But the Yonhap news agency...

Iran has sent six warships into international waters in a move security experts are calling a "muscle flexing" show of defiance following missile tests last week."Iran has dispatched six ... warships to international waters and the Gulf of Aden region in a historically unprecedented move by the Iranian Navy," Iranian Adm. Habibollah Sayyari told a gathering of armed forces officials, Reuters reported. Sayyari said the ships were moved to preserve Iran's territorial integrity in its southern waters, but foreign policy experts are calling it an aggressive move targeted at a Western audience as much as for regional powers like...

What to Do About North Korea By Dan Blumenthal and Robert Kagan May 26, 2009 The North Korean launch of its Taeopodong-2 missile and its second nuclear test have laid bare the paucity of President Obama's policy options. They have exposed the futility of the six-party talks and, in particular, the much-hyped myth of China's value as a partner on strategic matters. The Obama administration claims that it wants to break with the policies of its predecessor. This is one area where it ought to. After decades of diplomacy and "probing" Pyongyang's intentions, one thing is clear: Kim Jong Il...

SEOUL, South Korea – North Korea launched tests Tuesday of two more short-range missiles a day after detonating a nuclear bomb underground, a news report said, pushing the regime's confrontation with world powers further despite the threat of U.N. Security Council action. Two missiles — one ground-to-air, the other ground-to-ship — with a range of about 80 miles (130 kilometers) were test-fired from an east coast launch pad, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported, citing an unnamed government official. South Korean spy chief Won Sei-hoon had informed lawmakers earlier Tuesday that a missile test was likely, according to the office...

UNITED NATIONS – The U.N. Security Council is condemning North Korea's nuclear test as a clear violation of its resolutions. The council said in a statement Monday that it will begin work immediately on a new legally binding resolution addressing North Korea's violations. The U.N.'s most powerful body held an emergency meeting at Japan's request after North Korea conducted its second nuclear test earlier Monday. The council is demanding that North Korea abide by two previous resolutions, which among other things banned further nuclear tests and called for a return to six-party talks aimed at eliminating its nuclear program.

TOKYO — Japan and the European Union condemned North Korea's reported nuclear test as a violation of U.N. sanctions, as several leaders, including President Barack Obama, suggested Monday that they would bring the matter to the Security Council. The test — the North's second since 2006 — drew near universal disapproval, although China had no immediate response. "North Korea is directly and recklessly challenging the international community," Obama said in a statement. "North Korea's behavior increases tensions and undermines stability in Northeast Asia." Obama said Washington will be working in the days ahead with the Security Council and other nations...

In the end, maybe it was better to have North Korea demonstrate its ineptitude at rocket science. According to every source but Pyongyang, the latest version of the Taepodong-2 had as much success as its predecessor in reaching orbit: none. The failure undermines yet again the inability of North Korea to mount a legitimate threat against the US, but it wasn’t the only display of impotence this weekend:

The U.N. Security Council met in emergency session on Sunday afternoon to discuss concerns over North Korea's launch of a long-range rocket. But the closed-door consultations did not produce a clear and unified response. Diplomats say the council was unified in its deep concern over the launch, but that it could not immediately agree what form its response should take. The United States and Japan say they want a clear message in the form of a Security Council resolution condemning the launch. U.S. Ambassador, Susan Rice said "It is our view that this action merits a clear and strong response...

The United States, Japan and South Korea will view the launch as a violation of a U.N. Security Council resolution passed in 2006 after Pyongyang carried out the nuclear test and other missile tests. That resolution, number 1718, demands North Korea "suspend all activities related to its ballistic missile program." U.N. Security Council diplomats have told Reuters on condition of anonymity that no country was considering imposing new sanctions but the starting point could be discussing a resolution for the stricter enforcement of earlier sanctions. Both Russia and China, the latter the nearest the reclusive North has to a major...

The United Nations Security Council met in emergency session last night as Western diplomats pushed for a robust response. The US was pressing last night for a formal Security Council resolution demanding compliance with existing UN sanctions and banning North Korea from importing luxury goods. China was expected to veto any effort to impose stronger sanctions. Gordon Brown called the launch completely unacceptable.

The Obama administration is facing its first test in an international crisis as the U.N. Security Council prepares Sunday for an emergency session to consider a response to North Korea's rocket launch earlier in the day U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice is leading the U.S. delegation to the world body. Echoing President Obama and other administration officials, Rice called North Korea's launch "serious and provocative" and said Pyongyang's actions demonstrate why the U.S. is concerned about its capability of delivering weapons. "That's what we're most concerned about preventing, and preventing North Korea from sharing that technology with...

President Obama said that North Korea violated international rules when it tested a rocket that could be used for long-range missiles, and he called on the United Nations Security Council to take action. “This provocation underscores the need for action, not just this afternoon at the Security Council but in our determination to prevent the spread of these weapons,” Mr. Obama said. “Rules must be binding. Violations must be punished. Words must mean something.” The United States Northern Command issued a statement that North Korea’s taepodong 2 missile flew over Japan, with its payload landing in the Pacific Ocean. “No...

On the same day Somali gunmen seized two more ships, the U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Tuesday to authorize nations to conduct land and air attacks on pirate bases on the coast of the Horn of Africa country. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was on hand to push through the resolution, one of President George W. Bush's last major foreign policy initiatives. Rice said the resolution will have a significant impact, especially since "pirates are adapting to the naval presence in the Gulf of Aden by traveling further" into sea lanes not guarded by warships sent by the U.S. and...

UNITED NATIONS – A U.N. Security Council panel has declared a Pakistan-based charity a front group for the terrorist organization blamed in the attacks on Mumbai that killed 171 people. In a move sought by India and the U.S., the panel said the charity Jamaat-ud-Dawa was a front for the Pakistani militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba and subject to U.N. sanctions on terrorist organizations. ...

Note: The following text is a quote: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/11/20081117-3.html For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary November 17, 2008 White House News Statement by the Press Secretary on Burma Burma: Continued Arbitrary Sentencing In the last few days in Burma, Than Shwe's brutal regime arbitrarily sentenced additional pro-democracy activists to harsh prison terms. This brings the total number of persons convicted since November 7 to at least 86. Brave Burmese patriots such as Min Ko Naing, Ko Ko Gyi, and Htay Kywe, were among those who have been sentenced to 65 years' imprisonment for their peaceful participation in the August...

Obama today: "We should continue to push for a United Nations Security Council Resolution calling for an immediate end to the violence. This is a clear violation of the sovereignty and internationally recognized borders of Georgia – the UN must stand up for the sovereignty of its members, and peace in the world.".........JUST ONE LITTLE THING WRONG YOUR STATEMENT BARRY!

<p>U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad exchanged sharp remarks with the Russian ambassador on Sunday, accusing Moscow of resisting attempts to make peace with Georgia after days of fighting have left hundreds of civilians dead.</p> <p>Khalilzad pointedly asked Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin in the U.N. Security Council session whether Russia's aim was to "change the leadership in Georgia" _ a charge Churkin did not directly address but seemed to deny.</p>

Night-time pictures of heavy shelling Georgian forces and South Ossetian separatists have been exchanging heavy fire just hours after agreeing to a ceasefire and Russian-mediated talks.Russian media reports said Georgia had launched a tank-led attack on the separatist stronghold of Tskhinvali, and airstrikes on rebel positions. Georgia says it aims to finish "a criminal regime" and restore order. At least 15 people are reported dead. Moscow called on the world community to work "to avert massive bloodshed". At Russia's request, members of the UN Security Council are holding a rare emergency session to discuss a response to the escalating violence....

WASHINGTON, July 9, 2008 – Iran’s test of short- and medium-range missiles is a disturbing development and points to the need for a European missile defense system, Pentagon officials said here today. Iran tested at least seven missiles yesterday, according to news reports, capable of hitting Israel and parts of Europe. “Iran’s development of ballistic missiles is a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions and completely inconsistent with Iran's obligations to the world,” White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said to reporters traveling with President Bush in Japan. “The Iranians should stop the development of ballistic missiles, which could be used...

The Security Council is the United Nations’ most powerful body. It is the one body in the United Nations system with the power under the UN Charter to dispatch military and peacekeeping operations, impose economic sanctions, mandate arms inspections, and enforce resolutions against international human rights violations. In short, it is charged with the guardianship of international peace and security.

Islamic nations should be represented in an expanded U.N. Security Council "in proportion to their membership of the United Nations," according to foreign ministers of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). In a resolution passed at a meeting in Uganda last week, the ministers pointed to size of the Islamic bloc in the international community, noting that its members make up "one-fifth of the world population." Any proposal to reform and enlarge the U.N. Security Council "which neglects the adequate representation of the Islamic Ummah [community] in any category of membership ... will not be acceptable to the Islamic...

Foreign ships gained authorization Monday to enter Somali waters when fighting piracy and armed robbery — rampant problems along the African nation's lawless coast. The U.N. Security Council's 15 members unanimously adopted a resolution intended to combat the attacks and hijacking of vessels along the country's 1,880-mile coastline, the continent's longest. More than a dozen pirate attacks have occurred this year alone, creating concerns for shipping along routes that connect the Indian Ocean with the Red Sea. Two more ships were attacked in the Gulf of Aden last week. The resolution, pushed by France and the United States, is in...

There can be no question of foreign troops being withdrawn from Iraq at present, Russia's foreign minister said on Tuesday. "Iraq's law enforcement structures are not in a position to assume complete responsibility for ensuring security in the country and to effectively counter terrorist groups," Sergei Lavrov told an international conference on Iraq in Kuwait City. He said that although some successes had been achieved in the security sphere, the situation remained volatile. "Positive changes are yet to be irreversible. Consider the recent fighting in Basra and Baghdad, the echo of which is still resounding [throughout the country], and the...

Washington - Senator John McCain, the Republican Party's likely presidential nominee, Monday defended Israel's right to defend itself against rocket attacks from Gaza. In remarks broadcast from the campaign trail, McCain said the US 'obviously' wants a ceasefire. But in the case of 'attacks on Israel that continue from Gaza ... I believe that any nation has the right to respond to attacks.' On Saturday, amidst a mounting death toll in Gaza from Israeli air and ground attacks, the Palestinian leadership called off peace talks with Israel while the United Nations Security Council met in emergency session. The death toll...

UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The U.N. Security Council is certain to approve a third round of sanctions against Iran on Monday for refusing to suspend uranium enrichment, but it's doubtful the new measures will receive the unanimous support that the first two sanctions resolutions did. The five permanent council members with veto power - the U.S., Russia, China, Britain and France - are all backing the new resolution, and they have more than the nine yes votes needed for approval in the 15-member council. But four non-permanent council members have raised a variety of concerns - Libya, Indonesia, South Africa...

Western diplomats announced that Security Council might vote on Saturday on a third round of sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program. British Ambassador to UN John Sawers affirmed that France, Britain, Germany and the United States will hold discussions on Friday and would maybe vote on Saturday.

Iraq plans to propose one final extension to the UN Security Council mandate for the American deployment, the AP reports this morning. After the end of 2008, Iraq wants to directly negotiate a bilateral security arrangement with the US similar to that of Kuwait and Qatar: Iraq wants the U.N. Security Council to extend the mandate of the 160,000-stong U.S.-led multinational force in Iraq only through the end of 2008, then replace it with a long-term bilateral security agreement, Foreign Ministry officials said Saturday. Aides to Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said the mandate extension for the U.S.-led coalition, due to...

Both the U.N. Security Council and the International Atomic Energy Agency have found Iran in breach of its obligations under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The IAEA reports that Iran ignored the Security Council's February deadline to stop enriching uranium and has even expanded its nuclear program. As Iran's Atomic Energy Organization moves toward its announced goal of operating 50,000 uranium enrichment centrifuges in Natanz, the World Bank is funding nine government projects in Iran totaling $1.35 billion -- one of which operates in Isfahan, where Iran's nuclear program is headquartered. While the World Bank is part of the U.N. family,...

Syria has called on its citizens to leave Lebanon ahead of an expected "eruption" in that country, Arab and Iranian press reports have said. The media reports were translated and made available by MEMRI in a special dispatch on Sunday. "In the past few days, Arab and Iranian media reports have pointed to the possibility that Lebanon's current political crisis may become a violent conflict after July 15, 2007," the MEMRI dispatch said. July 15 comes one day before a special UN Security Council meeting which is expected to discuss the possibility of stationing international experts on the Syria-Lebanon border,...

Between 100 and 200 Iranian dissidents protested in Stockholm on Monday against a visit to Sweden by Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki. Protesters threw eggs at the door of the Swedish Institute of International Affairs where Mottaki was due to deliver a speech, and shouted slogans denouncing the Iranian regime. The group also called for the release of political prisoners. A large police force was on hand to prevent the demonstrators from entering the building. In his address, Mottaki stressed that Iran's nuclear programme was "peaceful" and posed "no threat to international peace and security." The UN Security Council imposed...

The UN Security Council said it would hold a meeting on the tense situation in Sudan's strife-torn Darfur region next Monday following the ambush killing of two Rwandan peacekeepers there. The announcement came as the United States and Britain last week presented a draft resolution in the council calling for deployment of 17,000 UN peacekeepers to Darfur, despite threats by the central Sudanese government to attack any UN troops who go to the area. Ghana's UN Ambassador Nana Effah-Apenteng, the council president for August, stressed that Monday's open debate was not being convened specifically to discuss the British-US draft....

Print this document Print this Transcript Email a Friend Email a friend Close this window Close this window The Middle East Media Research Institute 8/13/2006 Clip No. 1241 Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: The U.S and England Are Not Worthy of Security Council Membership. Those Who Want Good Relations with the Iranian People Should Bow and Surrender to its Right and Might Following are excerpts from a speech delivered by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, which aired on Iranian News Channel (IRINN) on August 15, 2006: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: When they talk about a "New Middle East," they mean a Middle East that...

Countries that send troops to be a part of the United Nations international force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) must recognize the Jewish state, Israel's United Nations Ambassador Danny Gillerman told the British Broadcasting Corp. (BBC) Friday. He said it is not comprehensible to allow the participation of countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia, who have offered to send 1,000 soldiers each and who do not have diplomatic ties with Israel. Last week, Malaysia encouraged other countries to cut off relations with Jerusalem.

http://www.un.org/webcast/index.asp

France and the U.S. have revived a draft for a U.N. resolution aimed at ending hostilities between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hizbullah terror group. A vote on Friday is possible but not certain. The two Western nations came to a last-minute agreement on the proposal over which they have been wrangling for days. Both sides were working Thursday evening on last minute changes in the wording of the document. Envoys from both the U.S. and France met with U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan to discuss the proposal. The resolution calls for an embargo on arms for Hizbullah terrorists but...

NEW YORK - The National Director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), Abraham Foxman, yesterday accused United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan of demonstrating "blatant one-sidedness" in his comments about Israel's war against Hezbollah in Lebanon. "I am stunned that the UN secretary general cannot find his tongue except to criticize and denounce Israel, and is unable to raise his voice to denounce Hezbollah's daily firing of hundreds of rockets that are specifically intended to hurt civilians," Foxman said yesterday in an exclusive interview with Haaretz. "In addition, [Annan] has not bothered to mention the loss of life in Israel as...

France a short time ago has requested to push off Tuesday’s scheduled UN Security Council session dealing with an Israeli ceasefire in Lebanon. Reportedly bowing to increasing pressure to amend the French ceasefire proposal, French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy a short time ago announced the scheduled UN session will be placed on hold to permit officials to amend the ceasefire document.

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran still plans to reply by August 22 to a big power offer of incentives to stop making nuclear fuel, an official said on Monday, but more senior politicians have already rejected the terms of the package. The United States, Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia proposed two months ago to give Iran trade and technical concessions if it shelves an uranium enrichment program first. But Iran was deemed to take too long to respond and was referred to the U.N. Security Council. The world body promptly passed a resolution ordering Tehran to halt atomic work or...

BEIRUT, Aug 5, 2006 (AFP) - Lebanon rejects a draft UN Security Council resolution which aims to brings about a ceasefire with Israel, and wants the text to be amended, a government source told AFP on Saturday. "The Lebanese government is opposed to the Franco-American draft and has sent Lebanon's representative to the UN, Acting Foreign Minister Tarek Mitri, an amended text which includes Lebanon's demands," the source said.-AFP UN resolution calls for 'full cessation of hostilities' in Lebanon UNITED NATIONS, Aug 5, 2006 (AFP) - The United States and France reached agreement Saturday on a draft resolution for Lebanon...

Agreement by the United States and France on a possible Mideast cease-fire deal is an ``important development,'' but Israel will not halt its war against Hezbollah for the time being, an Israeli Cabinet minister said Saturday. The draft U.N. Security Council resolution, formulated Saturday, calls for a halt to hostilities. ``It's a very important development,'' Tourism Minister Isaac Herzog told Israel TV's Channel One. ``We have to study the details of this draft. There's a lot in there.'' ``The Israeli military continues to act in the meantime, without letup, in many areas,'' he added. ``We still have the coming days...

LEBANON rejects a draft UN Security Council resolution which aims to brings about a ceasefire with Israel, and wants the text to be amended, a government source said overnight. "The Lebanese government is opposed to the Franco-American draft and has sent Lebanon's representative to the UN, Acting Foreign Minister Tarek Mitri, an amended text which includes Lebanon's demands," the source said.

Saturday, August 5, 2006 Filed under: Iran Watch by Chad Evans at 3:10 pm EDT According to Iran Press News and translated at Regime Change Iran, Iran has taken steps to blackmail members of the Security Council from imposing sanctions upon Iran. Oil might have something to do with it, but Iran has specifically stated they will execute all political prisoners it holds if the Security Council votes for sanctions. The Islamic Republic has now specifically announced that should their nuclear dossier be voted for referral by the United Nations Security Council for sanctions in the August round of voting,...

CRAWFORD, Texas (AP) — President Bush has signed off on a draft U.N. Security Council resolution aimed at ending fighting in the Mideast and is "happy with the progress being made," his spokesman said Saturday. But the president knows there could be a long road before violence stops, White House press secretary Tony Snow said. "I don't think he has any delusions about what lies ahead," said Snow, accompanying Bush on his vacation to his private ranch. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley arrived at the ranch Saturday to consult with Bush as the full...

BEIRUT, Lebanon, Aug. 5 — France and the United States reached agreement Saturday on a Security Council resolution to halt the fighting in Lebanon and lay out plans for a permanent cease-fire and a long-term political settlement, a French official said Saturday.Heavy fighting continued in Lebanon, with Israeli warplanes striking dozens of targets into the early morning hours on Saturday, and an Israeli commando raid in Tyre turning into a fierce gun battle. And Hezbollah unleashed a flurry of rockets late in the day, firing 140 of them into Israel in one 90-minute stretch. Under the terms of the diplomatic...