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U.S. BACKS AWAY FROM SANCTIONS AGAINST IRAN'S CENTRAL BANK
PanARMENIAN.Net
November 5, 2011 - 11:22 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - Despite weeks of tough warnings, the Obama
administration has backed away from its calls to impose new and
potentially crippling economic sanctions against Iran in retaliation
for an alleged plot to kill Saudi Arabia's ambassador on U.S. soil,
according to diplomats and American officials.
Though U.S. officials had declared that they would "hold Iran
accountable" for a purported plot, they now have decided that a
proposed move against Iran's central bank could disrupt international
oil markets and further damage the reeling American and world
economies.
The softening position illustrates how concern over the weak economy
has hobbled the administration when it comes to combating what
officials describe as Iran's efforts to attack U.S. interests in the
Middle East and elsewhere.
U.S. officials and foreign diplomats added that the likelihood that
other governments would strongly resist such a step also helped push
the central bank measure from consideration and diplomatic discussion.
The pivot to more limited tactics has surprised some other governments
that expected bold action after the administration warned that it
would not tolerate Iranian terrorist plots on American soil. Some
diplomats said it may be difficult for U.S. officials to persuade
other governments to scale back their business with Iran when the
United States was being so reticent.
Rather than pursue sanctions against Iran's central bank, U.S.
officials now say they will seek to persuade some of Tehran's key
trading partners - including the Persian Gulf states, South Korea
and Japan - to join the U.S. in enforcing existing sanctions. The U.S.
will also add a few more narrowly focused sanctions, they said,
Los Angeles Times reported.
PanARMENIAN.Net
November 5, 2011 - 11:22 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - Despite weeks of tough warnings, the Obama
administration has backed away from its calls to impose new and
potentially crippling economic sanctions against Iran in retaliation
for an alleged plot to kill Saudi Arabia's ambassador on U.S. soil,
according to diplomats and American officials.
Though U.S. officials had declared that they would "hold Iran
accountable" for a purported plot, they now have decided that a
proposed move against Iran's central bank could disrupt international
oil markets and further damage the reeling American and world
economies.
The softening position illustrates how concern over the weak economy
has hobbled the administration when it comes to combating what
officials describe as Iran's efforts to attack U.S. interests in the
Middle East and elsewhere.
U.S. officials and foreign diplomats added that the likelihood that
other governments would strongly resist such a step also helped push
the central bank measure from consideration and diplomatic discussion.
The pivot to more limited tactics has surprised some other governments
that expected bold action after the administration warned that it
would not tolerate Iranian terrorist plots on American soil. Some
diplomats said it may be difficult for U.S. officials to persuade
other governments to scale back their business with Iran when the
United States was being so reticent.
Rather than pursue sanctions against Iran's central bank, U.S.
officials now say they will seek to persuade some of Tehran's key
trading partners - including the Persian Gulf states, South Korea
and Japan - to join the U.S. in enforcing existing sanctions. The U.S.
will also add a few more narrowly focused sanctions, they said,
Los Angeles Times reported.