UN Lurches Toward Iran Action

The International Atomic Energy Agency has voted, not passed by concensus as is typically done, a resolution on Iran's nuclear program. BBC:

Submitted by Britain, France and Germany, the resolution calls on the 35-member IAEA board to consider reporting Iran - at an unspecified date - to the UN Security Council.

As grounds for referral, it stated that Tehran's "many failures and breaches" over international nuclear safeguards "constitute non-compliance" with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

It wasn't much of an action. Germany, Britain and France dropped their efforts to refer Iran to the General Assembly, and moved a watered down request that the GA consider taking up Iran. Even this watered down vote drew out the scoundrels: Russia and China abstained from voting, and the emerging international jackal Venezuela actually voted against the proposal.

Moscow Times quotes an EU spokesperson who provides a bit more info:

He said the Russians objected to the fact that even though the new draft does not call for an immediate Security Council referral, a report to the council would be inevitable if the resolution is approved. The Security Council, the United Nations' highest body, can impose economic sanctions.

Of the 35 International Atomic Energy Agency board members, Russia, China and at least a dozen others oppose the EU and U.S. effort to haul Iran before the Security Council for breaching international nuclear obligations.

Over the years, Iran has strayed from its "peaceful use" blather, with bluster and braggadacio about pursuing a bomb, as detailed definitively in Ken Timmerman's Countdown to Crisis: The Coming Nuclear Showdown with Iraq.

Despite Iran's clear intent to build a bomb, there are nations like Venezuela that put their anger above rational thought, and there are those like China and that put their quest for money and power ahead of the future of the world.

And that's forever the weakness of the UN and the IAEA.