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...pressure, and eventually seek sanctions, designed to force Iran to back down from what they believe is a nuclear weapons plan hidden within a civilian energy program. Efforts by France, Germany and Britain to achieve a negotiated solution to the crisis have stalled on Iranian intransigence. Now, U.S. and EU officials say that this week, for the first time, they've won the all-important backing of veto-wielding Security Council members Russia and China for a toughly worded IAEA resolution. "It is important that [the Iranian leaders] understand ... that we are united in determining that they should...
...dilemma facing the Western funders of the Palestinian Authority following the Hamas election victory was visible in the position adopted by the U.S. and its ?Quartet? allies Monday night. After talks in London between Secretary of State Condi Rice and officials from the EU, UN and Russia, a statement warned that from the donors' perspective, "all members of the future Palestinian government must be committed to non-violence, recognition of Israel and acceptance of previous agreements and obligations, including the roadmap." Future aid would be reviewed against those criteria, warned UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, speaking for the Quartet...
...European foreign ministers urged Hamas "to renounce violence, to recognize Israel's right to exist, and to disarm," saying that if it made that shift, the EU "stands ready to continue to support Palestinian economic development and democratic state building." But even if it lives by them in practice as it embraces the realities of government, Hamas is unlikely to publicly adopt such principles any time soon. Indeed, in response to the Quartet statement, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri rejected the call to disavow violence and recognize Israel, saying "the Quartet should have demanded an end to occupation and aggression...
...matter of black and white," says one European diplomat. "Of course Hamas is a terrorist organization, but cutting off aid to the Palestinian Authority would play straight into the hands of the extremists among them." The diplomat suggested that there were possibly important differences, for instance, between the EU's relationship with full members of Hamas as opposed to those independent candidates who profited from Hamas's support. "We have technical contact with several Hamas mayors, and we can imagine maintaining that more easily than political contact with Hamas leadership. But those are questions for the future...
...early as 2007, and the existence of "dark bases" housing "ghost prisoners" would contravene European human rights standards, Romania may be forced to take a closer look at the activities of its U.S. ally on its soil-with more U.S. bases now slated to open and much of the EU uneasy about U.S. practices, the pressure on Romania for transparency is only going to increase...