From Voice of America News:The five permanent United Nations Security Council members and Germany have failed to agree on a strategy for pressuring Iran to halt its controversial nuclear program. Approval of a hoped-for common position statement has been delayed to allow more time for diplomacy.
Russia and China at least temporary blocked a U.N. Security Council statement that would urge Iran to stop enriching uranium for possible use in nuclear weapons. The United States, along European allies Britain, France and Germany, had hoped the statement would be adopted Tuesday.
Iran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. However, the United States and several of its European allies think otherwise.
But those hopes were dashed when a Monday meeting of senior diplomats of the six nations outside U.N. headquarters failed to settle on common language. One diplomat, who requested anonymity, called the negotiations "difficult."
U.S. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns emerged from the talks expressing optimism that agreement would eventually be reached. But, in an apparent reference to the Chinese and Russian objections, he suggested that the four-and-a-half hour session had achieved little.
"It is clear from today's meeting that there will have to be more meetings in New York," he said. "There's certainly going to be further contact among capitals, but we remain convinced that we will achieve a presidential statement. It may take a little bit of time."
Burns said the United States remains committed to diplomacy on Iran. He emphasized that there is unity among all six parties to the talks on the basic approach for pressuring Tehran to comply with the demands of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
"All of us agreed Iran is out of compliance with its international commitments," he said. "All of us agreed Iran is traveling down the road towards enrichment and reprocessing that will be fundamentally detrimental to interests of the world of non-proliferation and peace and security. And, all of us agreed we should stay united and stay together to send one message to the Iranians and convince the Iranians to roll back their nuclear program."
China's Ambassador Wang Guangya would only say discussions are continuing. But, in recent days, he has said Beijing wants a slower pace of diplomacy and assurances that the IAEA will keep the lead role in ensuring Iranian compliance with its international obligations.
Ahh, so China wants a nuclear ally to go against us in the Middle East and help bomb western civilization along with it. Don't listen to the ChiComms. They arrest bloggers. They are not moving forward into civilization, except when it comes to money. Their prisons make Gitmo look like the resort it really is. Their wardens make Lyndie England look like a geisha girl. These idiots want to wait until there is another anti-US nuke power they can ally with.
Further proof that Russia and China are not our allies, and that the UN and IAEA are useless anachronisms of the past.
