Despite compromise, Iran sanctions measure elusive

By Evelyn Leopold
December 1, 2006
The Washington Post
Original Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/01/AR2006120100970.html

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - European countries have softened proposed U.N. sanctions against Iran's nuclear program in an effort to resolve Russia's objections, but no final deal is in sight, diplomats said on Friday.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said senior officials from Russia, United States, Britain, France, Germany and China could meet on a U.N. resolution as early as next week in an attempt to narrow differences, Russian news agencies reported from Jordan, where Lavrov was visiting on Friday.
All the nations, except China, are to attend an Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe meeting on Monday and Tuesday in Brussels and will probably consult there on Iran, State Department spokesman Tom Casey said in Washington.
The United States and the European drafters of the document -- Britain, France and Germany -- want the 15-member council to impose sanctions on Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs after it refused to suspend its enrichment activities, as demanded in an August 31 council resolution.
But Russia, backed by China, has chopped off close to half of the original European text.
The West believes Iran's uranium enrichment work is a cover for bomb-making. Tehran says it is for generating electricity.
A new European proposal, drawn up by France, would ban exports to Iran only of the most dangerous items that could be use to make a nuclear weapons or ballistic missions, according to diplomats familiar with the text. The diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity because of the negotiations' sensitivity.
The original draft demanded that nations bar the sale of equipment, technology and financing contributing to all of Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
British U.N. Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry said he did not expect discussions on a U.N. Security Council text, which have gone on for months, to resume in New York for at least 10 days.
It's a work in progress with different bits of language being discussed, Jones Parry told reporters.
However, France's U.N. Ambassador Jean-Marc de la Sabliere said he hoped for a resolution by Christmas. We've made some proposals which I think make the negotiations easier to start, he said. I think the real round of negotiations starts now.
BUSHEHR REACTOR
Still, there is no agreement on U.S.-European demands for an assets freeze and a travel ban on individuals and groups involved in the nuclear program. Russia opposes those steps.
One of Russia's key objections has been to any mention in the text of the $800 million Bushehr light-water reactor it is building on Iran's Gulf coast.
The original draft resolution and any new one would not put the reactor under sanctions. But in dispute is whether Russia would be able to deliver a fuel cycle for the reactor, expected to begin operation in the next half of 2007, two senior council members said.
Russia wants the sanctions to expire in three months, subject to renewal, which the Western nations adamantly reject until Iran suspends enrichment activities.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met the British, Italian and German foreign ministers and European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana on Friday to discuss Iran and other issues during a conference at the Dead Sea in Jordan.
No details of the meetings were released but Rice indicated her patience was running out. I'm all for maintaining unity but I'm also in favor of action, she told reporters.
(Additional reporting by Mark Heinrich in Vienna and Sue Pleming in Jordan)