Thursday, October 28, 2004

Nuclear Power

Lionel Martin at the Jamestown Foundation's Eurasia Daily Monitor has a look at how the Russian government is seeking to keep the Iranian nuclear program off the UN's agenda:

Iran's nuclear program, especially its recent launch of a uranium enrichment process, could trigger a massive international crisis. Tehran has hitherto ignored European, Israeli, and American pressure to desist enrichment activities and terminate its program, fanning concern that it seeks a nuclear weapon that would threaten, Israel, Europe, American interests in the region, and all of Iran's neighbors. From the inception of its nuclear program, Iran has enjoyed Russia's support despite foreign opposition and pressure, and Moscow's stonewalling against foreign pressure has certainly helped Tehran defy it as well. But while Moscow supports Iran's right to enrich uranium, it also is increasingly nervous that the IAEA might bring the issue to the UN Security Council, where it would be forced to take a stand between Washington, Europe, and Tehran.

Read the rest of the article
here

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