Euros agree to tightened sanctions on Iran

NY Times:

European negotiators, yielding to pressure from the United States, have agreed to widen a ban on financial transactions with Iran and the export of materials and technology that Iran could use to develop nuclear weapons.

European officials said a resolution embodying the wider ban was negotiated over the last week and should go far toward satisfying the Bush administration, which has been pressing European governments for firmer action against Iranian individuals and companies as part of a campaign to isolate the Tehran government because of its suspected nuclear arms program.

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A text of the resolution, released Monday evening by officials of the European Union, calls for steps to carry out a United Nations Security Council resolution adopted in December. Europeans have been slow to follow through, saying governments do not have the legal tools to act against Iranian companies.

Two European officials said that in some respects the draft complies with American wishes for a broad move against Iran, but in other respects it could fall short. If the European Union adopts the resolution, European governments will have to enact laws individually to carry it out.

“The point is that it takes time for the Europeans to work out exactly where the center of gravity is so they can do something like this,” said a European official, asking not to be identified because of the delicate nature of the discussions. “It’s not as if the European Union can snap its fingers and get it done right away.”

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The lack of urgency is appalling. These guys seem to be pretty frisky when they are screwing companies like Microsoft. The UN sanctions were pretty minimums anyway. Stronger sanctions would be much more likely to achieve results before it is too late.