United States Reaffirms Tough Policy Toward Iran at UN Security Council

Jason Attermann — March 22, 2011 – 4:45 pm | Iran Comments (0) Add a comment

United States Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Rosemary A. DiCarlo spoke to the United Nations Security Council today concerning Iran’s continuing failure to comply with the nuclear regulations of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). DiCarlo reviewed the steps taken by the Security Council to encourage cooperation, including resolutions and sanctions. In addition, DiCarlo spoke of the Obama Administration’s commitment to developing a “diplomatic solution.”

According to the United States Mission To The United Nations website, DiCarlo said:

Finally, let me reiterate my government’s commitment to a diplomatic solution. We met with Iran a little more than a month ago with the sincere intent of starting a process of meaningful and constructive engagement between the P5+1 and Iran. The P5+1 came to the meeting without preconditions-and with specific, practical proposals aimed at building confidence. We made every effort to secure agreement. We had hoped to have a detailed, constructive discussion about those ideas, but instead, Iran presented unacceptable preconditions. Iran’s performance in Istanbul was deeply disappointing. We now look to Iran to show the international community that it has decided to address the international community’s serious concerns about Iran’s troubling nuclear activities.

Our goal remains to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. We remain committed to working closely with our partners in this Council and the international community toward that goal.

In a recent speech marking Nowruz, the Persian New Year, President Barack Obama chided the Iranian government for its apparent disregard for the rights of its people.

According to the transcript released by The White House, President Obama said:

So far, the Iranian government has responded by demonstrating that it cares far more about preserving its own power than respecting the rights of the Iranian people.

For nearly two years, there has been a campaign of intimidation and abuse. Young and old; men and women; rich and poor - the Iranian people have been persecuted. Hundreds of prisoners of conscience are in jail. The innocent have gone missing. Journalists have been silenced. Women tortured. Children sentenced to death.

The world has watched these unjust actions with alarm. We have seen Nasrin Sotoudeh jailed for defending human rights; Jaffar Panahi imprisoned and unable to make his films; Abdolreza Tajik thrown in jail for being a journalist. The Bahai community and Sufi Muslims punished for their faith; Mohammad Valian a young student, sentenced to death for throwing three stones.

These choices do not demonstrate strength, they show fear. For it is telling when a government is so afraid of its own citizens that it won’t even allow them the freedom to access information or to communicate with each other. But the future of Iran will not be shaped by fear. The future of Iran belongs to the young people - the youth who will determine their own destiny.

 

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