Hillary silent on *insert current crisis* debate, wet finger still in the air
Posted on 06/13/2006 4:55:23 AM PDT by Flavius
VIENNA (AFP) - China and Russia have rejected joining the West in a joint statement urging Iran to halt uranium enrichment, in diplomatic maneuvering ahead of a debate at the UN nuclear watchdog. ADVERTISEMENT
Diplomats played down the significance of this however, as China and Russia have already joined Britain, France, Germany and the United States in a ministerial agreement on June 1 calling on Iran to halt enrichment and join in talks on guaranteeing it will not make nuclear weapons.
"The effort didn't work to do a joint statement in Vienna," a senior European diplomat told AFP.
But the diplomat said the six world powers "have never managed to get an EU-3 (Britain, France and Germany) plus three statement in Vienna," at meetings of the watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) which oversees cooperation by nations with the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
A vigorous debate on Iran but no resolution is expected at this week's IAEA meeting of its 35-nation board of governors, with the Iranian issue expected to come up Wednesday or Thursday.
The EU-3 are expected to issue a statement of their own, with each of the six countries that have made the offer to Iran issuing individual statements.
Iranian allies Russia and China are both reluctant to threaten sanctions against Iran for nuclear work which the United States says show that Tehran wants to develop atomic weapons.
But the two nations closed ranks with the three European Union powers plus the United States in offering Iran talks on trade, security and technology benefits if it would suspend uranium enrichment, which makes nuclear reactor fuel but also atom bomb material.
Iran is currently examining the benefits package and is expected to respond by the end of the month.
"This has no influence on the overall situation," a Western diplomat said about the developments in Vienna, although this diplomat and others admitted that Iran would try to exploit any division, perceived or real, among the world powers.
But delegates from several non-aligned nations, of which China is a member, clearly do want to make a point, as they are preparing a statement that supports Iran's right to enrichment, as enshrined in the NPT.
A non-aligned diplomat said his group would "hold to a statement made by non-aligned foreign ministers in Kuala Lumpur in May," that backs Iran's right to enrich.
Diplomats said Washington was fighting to prevent non-aligned states on the IAEA board from issuing such a statement, which also is an expression of non-aligned concern over a US proposal to have nuclear fuel available in a multilateral reserve so that countries do not develop the ability to enrich uranium on their own.
The non-aligned diplomat said the bloc was planning a statement that would renew a message first issued May 30 in Malaysia, when the the Non Aligned Movement affirmed the right to atomic energy and opposed any attack on nuclear facilities.
"The Americans are not happy with that statement and told that to the NAM members," the diplomat said.
The United States wanted the bloc, which numbers some 16 mostly developing nations on the IAEA board, to stick to a February IAEA resolution calling on Iran to suspend uranium enrichment.
"The US point of view is that the Iranians should not be allowed to feel relaxed about enrichment, that the goal is to keep the pressure on them," the diplomat said.
A senior US State Department official said Washington did not want Tehran to press on with its enrichment activites while drawing out negotiations with the rest of the world.
With Iran being called on to answer the benefits offer within weeks, "we don't want the Iranian authorities to be considering this indefinitely," a senior US State Department official said.
"We don't want to be back into a situation we've seen before where they say they are prepared to negotiate but at the same time they just continue with their nuclear activities," the official said.
We'd best find a Ronald Reagan for our day and the will to treat them as the "Evil Empire" that they are, or we may well face the types of horrors described in:
Hillary silent on *insert current crisis* debate, wet finger still in the air
God forbid she ever has the reigns of power.
Kiss it all good-bye.
Not so long as I and millions of others draw breath.
She's a clueless as Madeline Albright when it comes to Islam and China and Russia and Jihad
She isn't clueless. She's merely loyal to the other side.
Ok then, don't complain when we nuke them.
Hillary rotten hildabeast Clinton has exactly less than one term as Senator experience in elected politics.
She has a lifetime experience in swamp water Arkansas politics, corruption, dishonesty and fraud.
As far as the Democrats are concerned..........
That is enough to be President !!!!!!
Most of the alliances/pacts that China is building are trade and oil related, not military. China has no navy nor the will to fight campaigns outside of China.
Korea, Tibet and Vietnam all lie within China's historic sphere of influence. Korea (with the "help" of Japan) declared independence from Qing China only until the late 1800's, right up to the collapse of the Qing. Tibet was also part of Qing China. The PRC today (as did the ROC) claims itself as the modern successor state of the Great Qing Empire.
My point was that the Chinese have never fought in a campaign that did not have a historical context with itself. Nor have the Chinese engaged in war with a country that did not border it or was never claimed as Chinese territory.
With consideration of these points, one can reasonably say that the only foreseeable Chinese engagement in the near future is over Taiwan. Not over Africa, Iran or S America.
In addition, the ideology their leadership and government continues to embrace compels them to spread the socialist/marxist/communist word as far as they can. Despite whatever happy face is put on it, (and I have been on the ground there and seen it) they are still there and if anything are turning into a more fascist model which could make things even worse.
You are free to see it however you wish and I am comfortable letting others read our views, look into it and decide for themselves.
If the Chinese were to behave as you say, it would mean a complete change in nearly 50 years of its foreign policy, from one of passive bystander to active participant. It is difficult for Communist nations to turn 180 degrees because they have large bureaucratic mechanisms that are resistant to change (in many respects like our State Department). These current trips to S America, Africa etc are no different from the Mao era when China sent delegations to 3rd World nations. They really mean nothing as China is incapable of backing it up with military presence.
Are we really that surprised? Russia and China are communistic and therefore idealogically opposed to us in every way. They are the ENEMY! When will this nation wake up?
you can compete with .99c specials and waking up
As to the fifty year thing...50 years ago, would put us in the 1950s. Right after Korea and right after Tibet. They were still consolidating their activites of those invasions/wars. So, please do not so cavalierly cast those aside. In addition, their involvement in Vietnam and with India post date the fifty year mark.
As I said earlier, clearly we disagree on this. I view Red China as the greatest long term military threat we face,particularly as they alingn with Russia, Iran, N. Korea and others, with the potential of a much more active and harmful "cold war" that is much more likely to develop into a hot war.
"Iran is currently examining the benefits package and is expected to respond by the end of the month."
Why do I find myself thinking of the mad Hatter's tea party?
"Russia is directly complicit in the activity, despite the danger a strong Red China poses to them (shades of early World War II)."
I think you overestimate the threat China poses to Russia. Currently, China confronts the U. S. (which has pledged to defend Taiwan, which China has practically pledged to invade) and Japan---a former military kitten that is quite quickly transforming into a military tiger under the Chinese stimulus.
These enemies for a country that is an "economic giant" primarily on a fantasy level---with 300 million people living in poverty. And let me point out, this has nothing to do with US-style poverty. In China, living in poverty means if you don't get the money to buy rice for the next three weeks---people in your family start to starve to death. When you live in poverty on that level, the possibility of armed insurrection is never that far away because you have very little to lose.
The notion that China might decide to take on Russia at this point seems like fantasy to me.
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