Russia, China threaten West's push on Iran

[Guest Solve et Coagula]

Russia, China threaten West's push on Iran

By Louis Charbonneau

VIENNA (Reuters) - Russia and China warned the United States and European Union on Wednesday against escalating the nuclear standoff with Iran, potentially blocking a Western drive to haul Tehran before the U.N. Security Council.

The European Union has circulated a U.S.-backed draft resolution calling on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) governing board to report Iran's secretive nuclear programme to the Security Council, which could impose sanctions.

Western countries suspect Tehran is developing atomic weapons under cover of a civilian nuclear energy programme. Iran insists its programme is peaceful and intended to meet its energy requirements.

Both Russia and China, which as permanent, veto-wielding members of the Council could block any action, warned the West against antagonizing Iran.

"While Iran is cooperating with the IAEA, while it is not enriching uranium and observing a moratorium, while IAEA inspectors are working in the country, it would be counter-productive to report this question to the U.N. Security Council," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

"It will lead to an unnecessary politicizing of the situation. Iran is not violating its obligations and its actions do not threaten the non-proliferation regime," he said in a speech in San Francisco reported by the RIA Novosti news agency.

And Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing told an EU team headed by British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw at the United Nations that sending the Iran issue to the Security Council could be counter-productive, a European participant said.

The diplomat quoted Li as saying that kicking the issue from Vienna to New York "could encourage Iran to take extreme measures" and would not be constructive.

Russia is building a $1 billion nuclear reactor for Iran and sees it as a key ally in the Middle East.

"The Russians are blocking the resolution," said a diplomat from one of the EU "big three" countries -- France, Britain and Germany -- on condition of anonymity.

"They aren't moving at all, not one centimeter. They don't even want to talk about the resolution. They don't want to propose any amendments. Nothing," the diplomat said.

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[Trust & Obey]

China is going to be our major adversary in this century.

We should immediately cease all economic trading with them... bring back our manufacturing... stop selling them technology... and stop issuing visas to their spy-students.

We are loading the rifles of the Red-Chinese with our insatiable hunger for cheap Chinese goods.

It's going to come back to bite us.

[Leonard]

I DO NOT buy 'made in China' and haven't for years. I encourage all others to take this stand too.