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Security Council Refuses to Condemn Iran
TEHRAN - UN Security Council does not authorize statement condemning Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's recent comments about Israel's destruction.
The UN Security Council refused to approve a statement Friday that would condemn remarks about Israel's impending destruction attributed to Iranian president because of objections from Indonesia, council diplomats said.
Qatar, the only Arab nation on the council, said it had no instructions, which also meant approval on Friday was impossible, the diplomats said. The statement must be approved by all 15 council members.
France's UN ambassador Jean-Marc de La Sabliere, who called for condemnation of the remarks attributed to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, said it was unfortunate that the council could not act immediately.
But he said he would try again on Monday to get all 15 council members to approve the statement.
Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim country, said Ahmadinejad had not really threatened Israel, council diplomats said.
Indonesia also accused the Security Council of double standards in defending Israel. It accused the council of doing nothing when Palestinians are attacked, when Israeli ministers threatened Iran or when the newspaper Haaretz called for Ahmadinejad's assassination, the diplomats said.
The brief press statement proposed by France asked the council to "strongly condemn the remarks about the destruction of Israel" attributed to Ahmadinejad, while reaffirming Israel's rights and obligations as a UN member.
It also asked for a "reaffirmation that under the United Nations Charter, all members have undertaken to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state."
Tehran has frequently announced that it does not recognize any state or country under the name of Israel, and thus, Ahmadinejad's remarks could not be considered as a violation of the UN Charter.
TEHRAN - UN Security Council does not authorize statement condemning Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's recent comments about Israel's destruction.
The UN Security Council refused to approve a statement Friday that would condemn remarks about Israel's impending destruction attributed to Iranian president because of objections from Indonesia, council diplomats said.
Qatar, the only Arab nation on the council, said it had no instructions, which also meant approval on Friday was impossible, the diplomats said. The statement must be approved by all 15 council members.
France's UN ambassador Jean-Marc de La Sabliere, who called for condemnation of the remarks attributed to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, said it was unfortunate that the council could not act immediately.
But he said he would try again on Monday to get all 15 council members to approve the statement.
Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim country, said Ahmadinejad had not really threatened Israel, council diplomats said.
Indonesia also accused the Security Council of double standards in defending Israel. It accused the council of doing nothing when Palestinians are attacked, when Israeli ministers threatened Iran or when the newspaper Haaretz called for Ahmadinejad's assassination, the diplomats said.
The brief press statement proposed by France asked the council to "strongly condemn the remarks about the destruction of Israel" attributed to Ahmadinejad, while reaffirming Israel's rights and obligations as a UN member.
It also asked for a "reaffirmation that under the United Nations Charter, all members have undertaken to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state."
Tehran has frequently announced that it does not recognize any state or country under the name of Israel, and thus, Ahmadinejad's remarks could not be considered as a violation of the UN Charter.
