US Fails to Rally Support against Iran

Source: Alalam.ir, 20-9-2008
WASHINGTON--A meeting of the so-called sextet of countries including Britain, France, the United States, Russia, China and Germany over a fourth round of sanctions against Iran to curb its nuclear program, has ended with no firm commitments from the concerned parties.
US State Department spokesman Robert Wood said the meeting of senior officials from the permanent five members of the UN Security Council and Germany concluded without agreement on either the timing or content of a new resolution against Iran.
A European diplomat said after the talks that there was no consensus on the substance and timing of more measures against Iran.
"The Russians are obviously not fully ready to move forward right now and the Chinese are not far from Russian thinking," said the diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Even before the meeting began, another US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack played down expectations, urging Russia to shelve differences over Georgia, and work together on Iran.
"We would urge them to put aside, as we have, any issues that exist between the United States/the rest of the world on Georgia and work on areas where we can work together -- Iran," said McCormack.
Highlighting divisions, China and Russia were excluded from a morning meeting at the State Department to discuss both Georgia and Iran, but were brought in for a lunch where the discussion was solely on Iran's nuclear program.
"The Russians have always been very reluctant and usually every resolution of sanctions is an ordeal -- three or four months of negotiations, comma by comma. I guess it will be more or less the same," said a senior European official.
"This resolution, if and when we get it, will be very weak," he added.
Earlier this week, the United Nations' International Atomic Energy Agency said in a report that Iran has not deviated from the peaceful path in its nuclear energy program.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad reiterated on Thursday Tehran would not suspend its enrichment program and brushed aside the threat of more sanctions.
With four months left in office, the Bush administration's leverage is slipping on the Iran dossier, experts say, and Tehran, Moscow and Beijing are taking this into account.
Foreign ministers from the major power are set to discuss Iran, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York next week but McCormack said he did not anticipate any decision would be taken on sanctions then either.