UK & France Hope for Useless Sanctions Against Iran

For the umpteenth time, the UN security council will vote on a bill to impose sanctions on Iran to try to stop it from enriching uranium. Iran will laugh at the pathetic sanctions and continue on enriching uranium, for the umpteenth time.

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Britain and France said on Thursday they hope the U.N. Security Council will vote next week on a revised sanctions resolution against Iran over its atomic program, which the West fears is aimed at making bombs.

Tehran denies wanting nuclear weapons but has ignored three previous Security Council resolutions demanding that it freeze its uranium enrichment program, which can produce fuel for nuclear power plants or atomic weapons.

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The draft, obtained by Reuters, calls for asset freezes and mandatory travel bans for specific Iranian officials and vigilance on all banks in Iran.

It also expands the list of Iranian officials and companies targeted by the sanctions and repeats the council's demand that Iran halt nuclear enrichment activity.

"They are a further increment on the sanctions that have already been introduced into the council," Sawers said. He was referring to two previous U.N. sanctions resolutions approved by the council in December 2006 and March 2007.

The draft, obtained by Reuters, calls for asset freezes and mandatory travel bans for specific Iranian officials and vigilance on all banks in Iran.

It also expands the list of Iranian officials and companies targeted by the sanctions and repeats the council's demand that Iran halt nuclear enrichment activity.

"They are a further increment on the sanctions that have already been introduced into the council," Sawers said. He was referring to two previous U.N. sanctions resolutions approved by the council in December 2006 and March 2007.

The changes were generally minor language adjustments and did not affect the substance of the penalties. In one addition, however, the Security Council encouraged EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana to continue communicating with Iran to resolve the stand-off diplomatically.