No new EU decision on Iran sanctions Monday: Solana' office(contradicting remarks from Hadley)

[maddezmom]

Source: AFP

LUXEMBOURG (AFP) - EU nations will not take a decision on Monday about imposing new sanctions on Iran, said EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana's spokeswoman, contradicting remarks from a senior US official.

"There was nothing on the table today," Cristina Gallach told journalists on the sidelines of a meeting between EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg.

EU nations said at the end of May that they were ready to approve new sanctions against Iran, targetting in particular Iran's Bank Melli.

Those sanctions must still be approved, but no decision was taken on Monday about them, Gallach said.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080616/wl_afp/irannucleareuministers_080616153539

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Press Gaggle by Dana Perino and National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley


~snip~

You're going to hear, as the Prime Minister indicated, an expectation that out of the European -- the EU foreign ministers meeting this afternoon at around 3:00 p.m., there will be an announcement of new sanctions on Iran. And the point will be that if Iran -- the Iranian regime does not change policy and accept the offer that has been tendered to them, it will be very clear from the EU's statement this afternoon that they will face new sanctions on Iran. They will be financial sanctions, as the Prime Minister said, including on Bank Melli, and also looking at oil and gas sanctions, which would be very much significant to the Iranian regime.

Q Steve, can I interrupt? When you say looking at oil and gas sanctions, does that mean they're going to be imposed or does that mean they're just going to consider it?

MR. HADLEY: I think what you'll find is some imposed sanctions in terms of Bank Melli and some others. I say "look at" because the Prime Minister said "look at" on oil gas sanctions. They are complicated -- oil and gas sanctions -- and Prime Minister Brown has thought we need to put them on the agenda. We'll have to see what the EU foreign ministers announce. My guess is that they will announce that we need to look at those sanctions, because they are a -- complicated and would be a major step forward.

He talked about the continuing commitment to Iraq, to succeed in Iraq. He outlined the agenda that he has given to the British presence in the south that they want to achieve in the months ahead. They also -- I thought it was interesting -- the Prime Minister began to define a little more clearly what he has in mind with respect to the upcoming meeting here on Saturday in Saudi Arabia. He indicated that he was going because it's been some time since he's been in Saudi Arabia. He wanted to address these issues with King Abdallah personally, the way the President has been able to do in his two visits to Saudi Arabia this year.

more:http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/080616/20080616006093.html?.v=1

[acmavm]

1. So they lied. That's what they do best. It's pretty much all they do.

[leveymg]

2. Looks like the EU didn't take the bait, again.

Quick - sell your Halliburton and Lockheed Grumman shares.

[lovuian]

3. Well Ireland's vote has put the EU on shakey grounds

right now they really are attempting to get Ireland back in if not the EU looks ineffective

[leveymg]

5. AP - Breaking states there is an "agreement in principle" to freeze Bank Melli assets

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080616/ap_on_re_eu/britain_iran;_ylt=AsEWGv3u7RvqjlNPAUHlqRqROrgF

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

LONDON (AP) — A British official says European Union nations have agreed in principle to freeze the assets of Iran's largest bank.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown's spokesman, Michael Ellam, said Monday an agreement is in place over the assets of Bank Melli.

Ellam has said following talks in London between Brown and President Bush that all EU member states had agreed they should freeze the bank's assets.

Foreign ministers were meeting in Luxembourg on Monday and Iran was high on the agenda. European Union officials could not immediately confirm the plans.

[Robbien]

4. Reports are confusing. Another article states EU is ready to move on sanctions

The European Union is poised to issue stronger financial sanctions against Iran, an EU spokeswoman said Monday.

Word of the agreement came after British Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced at a London news conference with U.S. President George W. Bush that Britain is freezing the assets of Iran's largest bank to discourage Tehran from developing nuclear weapons.

Brown said Britain was urging — and that Europe "will agree" — to impose further sanctions because of Iran's refusal to halt the uranium enrichment that could be used for nuclear weaponry.

The EU has not yet announced stronger sanctions.

But Cristina Gallach, spokeswoman for EU foreign affairs and security chief Javier Solana, said EU foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg on Monday were prepared to take formal action and agreed in principle on the need for stronger sanctions.

"It is clear they are ready to move further. We will definitely take a formal decision," she said. Gallach would not speculate on the timing of a final decision.

EU leaders will meet in Brussels for an EU summit later this week.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/06/16/europe/EU-GEN-EU-Iran-Sanctions.php

I'd wish EU/UK would just say NO. A clear decisive flat out no instead of this "ready to move but no final decision yet".