IAEA REFERRAL AGAINST IRAN: RICE GETS RUSSIA ON BOARD

WASHPOST (hat tip PRAIRIE PUNDIT):

The Bush administration, working intensely to galvanize international pressure on Iran, has secured a guarantee from Russia that it will not block U.S. efforts to take Tehran's nuclear case to the U.N. Security Council, American and European officials said yesterday.

The commitment, made in a Tuesday night phone call between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, will likely help the United States and its European allies win support from key countries weighing a tougher line in response to Iran's resumption of sensitive nuclear work.

Prairie Pundit adds: "The Russian's are not that helpful when you get to the bottom line. Like the Iraq vote, they agree to preliminary maneuvers but balk when it comes to actually doing something."

I AGREE. WE NEED TO PUT MORE PRESSURE ON PUTIN. One way of doing this is to him (and the France) is IGNORING THE UNSC - and taking direct action (perhaps pre-emptive) independent of the UN; (the basic source of Russian and France's international power is their UNSC veto power).