Russia Stonewalling UN Syria Report by Gavriel Queenann Russia Stonewalling Syria Report
Russia is working to suppress a United Nations report <http://trailer.web-view.net/Links/0X3B5318148E8C2E179CFD33D0F8C7EAE276BE371 C4278F77C2282CDCA80441B46D43F5D80DE6B7851BCB8DA03501B71703B9DE11375894DA5FB6 660AFFA374CEC.htm> that says Iran has been breaking a UN arms embargo by shipping weapons to Syria, Reuters reports. "Russia has objected to the publication of the report as an official Security Council document," a diplomat on the council said condition of anonymity. Several other diplomats confirmed the report. "It's obviously an attempt to protect (Syrian President) Bashar Assad," another diplomat said. Assad is coming under increasing international pressure <http://trailer.web-view.net/Links/0XCA5377B612393B3008CCF90E8565BC24707C835 A1787ED5B8D66F451382894A64B5E6DC90D3D8823BCB8DA03501B71703B9DE11375894DA5FB6 660AFFA374CEC.htm> due to his brutal crackdown on anti-government protesters. On Wednesday at least 18 were killed when Assad's forces shelled residential neighborhoods in the now-encircled city of Homs. The confidential report, obtained by Reuters, said the majority of Iran's embargo breaches have been arms sales to Syria. Western diplomats say Syria passed the arms on to Hizbullah and Arab terrorist groups in Israel. The report by the UN Security Council's "Panel of Experts," which reports on compliance with four rounds of UN sanctions imposed on Iran for refusing to halt its nuclear enrichment program, also asserts Tehran flouts the sanctions as it continues to develop its atomic program. Diplomats said Russia offered a procedural justification for objecting to the publication of the report -- that the Security Council's Iran sanctions committee must discuss the report before disclosure to the public. "Eventually they'll have to give in but we don't know how long it will take," a diplomat said. Russia has been able to stonewall the Iran report because decisions about Security Council reports are made by consensus. Russia's move comes as British and French diplomats attempt to revive plans for the Security Council to condemn Syria for its crackdown against demonstrators. A previous attempt failed after Russia, China and India objected to the proposed condemnation. China has prevented the publication of similar expert panel reports on North Korea and Sudan, two countries that Beijing routinely tries to shield from Security Council criticism, for as long as half a year. Russia has long acted as Iran's protector on the council, working hard to dilute the four sanctions resolutions on Iran between 2006 and 2010 before voting in favor of them. Russia has close commercial ties to the Islamic Republic. Iran's Russian-built Bushehr nuclear power plant, activated Tuesday <http://trailer.web-view.net/Links/0XD48C96D0B29F75E0A1BE654B532813D820EADAF BE82F2D3EFE5719213CCEC2C3757BF6C46233A1CCBCB8DA03501B71703B9DE11375894DA5FB6 660AFFA374CEC.htm> , is expected to be fully operational within weeks. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [email protected]. -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [email protected] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [email protected] Unsubscribe: [email protected] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtmlYahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
