In a move that should come as no surprise, the tyrannical regimes of Russia and China have made it known that they oppose taking a hard-line regarding Iran and its nuclear program. Russian President Putin is opposed to the use of sanctions as a means of coercing Iran and even opposed to taking the matter before the UN Security Council. While we at the Phalanx have been arguing for some time that neither sanctions nor the UN can or will do anything to restrain Iran, Russia’s Putin is motivated by other factors, namely money. Let us not forget that Russia is primarily to blame for this crisis in the first place. They have sold Iran nuclear technology as well as advanced weapons systems. Russia and China are favorite suppliers of tyrannical, despotic, authoritarian regimes around the world.

If sanctions were imposed on Iran, it would interfere with Russia and China’s ability to sell weapons and technology to the mullahs of Tehran. For this reason, Russia has called for a measured approach. Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov even went so far as to argue that sanctions had done nothing to retrain the actions of Saddam Hussein and would therefore have no affect on Iran, something we have been arguing for sometime now. Though Russia at the start of the Iraq war was fully in favor of the sanctions regime. So have the Russians been convicted by an overwhelming desire to help the poor of Iran? Not likely, considering the way they treat their own people.

Recently, China argued that referring Iran to the Security Council would only make matters worse, now both Russia and China argue for alternatives. With the Sino-Russian coalition adamantly opposed to UN action, one would assume they would propose alternatives, especially in light of the fact that they are the cause of this crisis. One, however, would be wrong, rather than offering alternatives to break the impasse with Iran both the tyrants of Beijing and the tyrants of Moscow have simply argued for patience. What exactly does that mean? Should the world wait patiently while Iran develops nuclear weapons only to supply them to every terrorist from here to Timbuktu?

In reality both Russia and China have a vested interest in protecting Iran, just as they did with Iraq. The European Union on the other hand stands to loose either way, Iran is a major European oil supplier, but they would also be the prime targets of a nuclear Iran. The Europeans also lack the fortitude for a showdown with the Iranians, leaving only the US. America, however, is in no position to move on Iran. The left who once championed action against Iraq, would turn on Bush, just as they did with Iraq, even though they now call for a swift response to Iran. Indeed, the leftist propaganda machine in this country would act quickly to destroy any chance of acting resolutely with regard to Iran. If by some remote chance, however, the US or Europe does take action, we can rest assured that terrorism around the world will increase 100 fold. Making Iraq seem like a picnic, lest we forget who is the architect of modern terrorism in the world.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/01/17/iran.nuclear/index.html