IAEA Vote on Iran

[YOSHIE FURUHASHI <furuhashi.1@xxxxxxx>]

Washington didn't get everything it wanted, but still it's unhappy
news:

<blockquote>India votes to refer Iran to UNSC

September 25, 2005 13:03 IST

The International Atomic Energy Agency's board today approved a
resolution that sets up Iran for future referral to the United Nations
Security Council. India has voted in favour of the resolution.

Diplomats inside the meeting said, however, that only 22 of the 35
board nations voted for the United States-backed European Union
motion, reflecting the divisions over the referral.

Only twice in the past two decades has the IAEA board voted on an
issue instead of adopting a resolution by consensus. Both of those
were on sending North Korea to the council -- in 1993 and 2003
-- for breaking with the nonproliferation treaty.

Board nations Russia and China, which are also veto-wielding
Security Council members, abstained, along with 10 other nations,
all of them developing countries. Among those voting for the
resolution were European countries on the board, along with the
United States, Canada, Australia, Peru, Singapore and Japan.

Venezuela cast the only vote against. . . .

<http://in.rediff.com/news/2005/sep/25iran.htm></blockquote>

<blockquote>
CPI(M) criticises India's vote on Iran

September 25, 2005 18:26 IST

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has called the resolution
adopted by the International Atomic Energy Agency on the Iran
nuclear issue is 'unjustifiable and one-sided'.

"It is shameful that India has voted with the United States and the
western countries to refer Iran to the UN Security Council unless it
complies with the demands made," it said in a press release.

The CPI(M) has said that the Congress-led United Progressive
Alliance government has caved in to United States' pressure and
gone back on its stated stand.

"Till the eve of the vote in the IAEA, the Indian government had
maintained that the Iran issue should be dealt with within the
framework of the IAEA and that decisions have to be taken by
consensus. India had also recognised the right of Iran to develop
its nuclear technology under international safeguards as a
signatory of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty," the release said,
adding that India's vote has now 'reversed all these positions'.

"India has broken ranks with the non-aligned countries which had
decided not to support the US stand on Iran.  India voting for the
resolution along with the US and the European Union-3 has
violated its own stand that decisions should be taken by consensus
in the IAEA board," the CPI(M) says. . . .

<http://in.rediff.com/news/2005/sep/25cpi.htm></blockquote>

Yoshie

Yoshie