Waffling, weak-kneed, paltry stuff
Carl Bildt, Sweden’s able foreign minister, today tweeted this “good conclusion” from the Euroepean Union meeting today:
In the light of the new IAEA report, which is to be considered by the IAEA Board of Governors, the Council expresses its increasing concerns over the Iranian nuclear programme and the lack of progress in diplomatic efforts. It condemns the continuous expansion of Iran’s,enrichment programme, and expresses particular concerns over the findings of the IAEA Director General report on Iranian activities relating to the development of military nuclear technology. Iran has been found in violation of international obligations, including six UNSC and ten IAEA Board Resolutions. We urge Iran to address the international concerns over the nature of its nuclear programme
through full cooperation with the IAEA and by demonstrating readiness to engage seriously in concrete discussions on confidence building steps, as proposed by the HR on behalf of the E3+3. The Council recalled the latest European Council conclusions inviting it to prepare new restrictive measures against Iran. The Council will continue to examine possible new and reinforced measures and revert to this issue at its next meeting, taking into account Iran’s actions.
There may of course be something lurking here that is not spelled out: we can hope that there will in fact be “new and reinforced” measures out of the next meeting. But on the face of it, this is waffling, weak-kneed, paltry stuff from people who should know better and by now be ready to act.
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“… be ready to act.”
And do what, exactly? Military action probably means at the very least sending the world into an economic tailspin – look what happened to the price of oil when Libya’s 2% of world oil-production was interrupted. Covert action – blowing up nuclear scientists and rocket bases? You’d hardly expect them to come out publicly for that, now would you? Sanctions? Sure, they always work so well. The government will find a way to take care of the people they most care about, obviously a smallish number if they’re thinking about nuclear war, and everybody else will suffer. The Serbs still haven’t forgiven us for the sanctions imposed when Milosevic was in power. A future Iran with a grudge would be a lot worse than Serbia with a grudge.