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del.icio.us Digg It!  new Sanctions or force By Haaretz Editorial French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown espoused a determined and coordinated position on the need to stop Iran's nuclear program during Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's visits to their countries last week. Sarkozy, who has been working in recent months to curtail business ties between French companies and Iran, is currently trying to get the European Union to impose its own sanctions, thereby reinforcing the Security Council's resolutions against Iran. Brown termed Iran's behavior "unacceptable" and promised to back stiffer international and European sanctions after the International Atomic Energy Agency submits a report on Iran's nuclear activities next month. Olmert expressed support for his hosts' moves and said that it is possible to stop Iran by applying pressure that would convince the country's economic elite to come out against the regime and thereby bring about a change in its policies. In Olmert's view, this will be a lengthy process, but it is too soon to give up hope and either accept a nuclear Iran or use force against it: "Sanctions can be effective, and they have already been effective," he said in Paris and London. Against the background of a noticeable toughening of the rhetoric against Iran by senior American government officials, Sarkozy and Brown are seeking to give diplomacy another chance and to exert "soft power." The challenge they face is to persuade two other key European states - Germany and Italy - to join the French sanctions initiative and cut back on their booming business with Iran. Advertisement The European Union is Iran's principal trading partner. European companies are active in the country's energy sector, and they supply equipment and financing for factories and construction and infrastructure projects. France proposes forbidding European companies to bid on Iranian government contracts and limiting their dealings with Iranian banks. He is even urging French oil and gas companies not to compete for new projects in Iran and calling for reduced business ties between French and Iranian banks. Germany and Italy object to Sarkozy's initiative, offering the familiar excuses that sanctions are ineffective, and that if Europe does not do business with Iran, it will simply be replaced by Russia and China, which will rake in profits at the expense of European firms. Germany's exports to Iran, and its banks' dealings with the country, have both declined over the last year, but the government is not taking the initiative or demonstrating a firm stance, as the French and British governments are. It prefers to hide behind the Security Council and avoid joining a parallel European boycott. The position adopted by sanction opponents is liable to achieve the opposite of what they intend: Those who prevent economic pressure on Iran are making the use of military force against it more likely. If there is still any chance for the diplomatic effort to succeed, as Olmert says, it must not be missed because of short-sighted business considerations. This is the moment for Europe to display unity and leadership and to prove that its way can achieve results in solving "the most important international issue," as Sarkozy termed it. Bookmark to del.icio.us 6 years on Officials say Syria's suspected reactor was under construction in 2001. Nyet to aliyah The minister was wrong: Nativ's tactics simply aren't suited to today's Jewish village.   1.   Germany puts business interests above Israeli security 11:11  |  Jonathan S 26/10/07   2.   Deja Vu All Over Again 11:15  |  Natallie Durson 26/10/07   3.   FINALLY AN HAARETZ ARTICLE THAT USES REAL LOGIC. THANKS. 11:25  |  Albert Tzveistein 26/10/07   4.   Yes! 11:28  |  S 26/10/07   5.   Sanctions my arse! 12:03  |  Hubal 26/10/07   6.   Sanctions of Force (Iran) 13:13  |  F. Broman 26/10/07   7.   propaganda 13:13  |  dani.a 26/10/07   8.   S #4 Santayana could teach you something 13:18  |  Hubal 26/10/07   9.   Arrogance of wealth 13:25  |  akiva (zionist) 26/10/07   10.   Those who support Bush want war 13:30  |  Mark Lincoln 26/10/07   11.   You seem to have learned something, anyway 13:47  |  Rowan Berkeley 26/10/07   12.   Because for God`s sake let`s not talk 13:48  |  George Banning 26/10/07   13.   Berlin and Vienna against Israel and the West 14:16  |  Jonathan S 26/10/07   14.   Please stop your Gotspe Jonathan S. 14:30  |  Mark B. 26/10/07   15.   Ridiculous 15:02  |  Human 26/10/07   16.   For cynical Mark B. in Holland 15:02  |  Jonathan S 26/10/07   17.   Sanctions vs. Force 15:03  |  Bernhard 26/10/07   18.   Jonathan S #13 Less sanctimony,less hypocrisy. 15:18  |  Hubal 26/10/07   19.   As history says, the more zionist jews incite against iran, the.. 15:29  |  British Iranian 26/10/07   20.   Your melodramatical propaganda is awful Mark B. 15:50  |  Fortuna Benmayor 26/10/07   21.   Haaretz Editorial 15:54  |  Axel 26/10/07   22.   For Jonathan S. 15:55  |  Fortuna Benmayor 26/10/07   23.   To the Complacent People 15:59  |  David Samson 26/10/07   24.   US should explain this to Russia and China 15:59  |  Tosefta 26/10/07   25.   Iran must just needs to wait 16:01  |  American 26/10/07   26.   # 1 and 13: Jonathan`s barnstorm theater 16:10  |  Frank 26/10/07   27.   Damned If You Do; Damned If You Don`t 16:12  |  Tony Anthony 26/10/07   28.   Hubal #8 & Mark Lincoln #10 -second try 16:21  |  S 26/10/07   29.   Jonathan S #13 Such hypocrisy. 16:23  |  Hubal 26/10/07   30.   Question for Natallie Durson 16:24  |  G Deutsch 26/10/07   31.   For the hypocrite Fortuna Benmayor 16:47  |  Mark B. 26/10/07   32.   For Jonathan S. 16:48  |  Mark B. 26/10/07   33.   S #28 It is you who are in denial. 16:49  |  Hubal 26/10/07   34.   iran threat 16:51  |  Richard 26/10/07   35.   Germany and Italy will also join 17:02  |  mehmet 26/10/07   36.   response no 13 17:07  |  bozari 26/10/07   37.   Israel`s position on the nukes 17:08  |  mehmet 26/10/07   38.   For Fortuna Benmayor 17:08  |  Jonathan S 26/10/07   39.   Yo F. Broman #6 17:11  |  Persian Kitty 26/10/07   40.   Completely off thread: Remember the hostages? 17:15  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 26/10/07   41.   To Jonathan S #1 17:19  |  Persian Kitty 26/10/07   42.   Oh Blankity Blank! 17:50  |  Yosemite 26/10/07   43.   Fortuna Benmayor is too harsh on Mark B #20 17:52  |  Hubal 26/10/07   44.   # 2 In the end, Fatmah, even Iraq will be one of the... 17:56  |  Misha 26/10/07   45.   "bRITISH" Iranian - Go HOME THEN!!! 18:19  |  Marksy 26/10/07   46.   Fortuna Benmayor is too harsh on Mark B #20 18:28  |  Hubal 26/10/07   47.   The German parliament and government 20:09  |  Axel 26/10/07   48.   Thanks for the false choice :) 23:25  |  joebhed 26/10/07   49.   Margie, tell us more 00:29  |  joebhed 27/10/07   50.   David #23, Nuclear know-how? 00:42  |  joebhed 27/10/07   51.   G Deutsch # 30 00:55  |  joebhed 27/10/07   52.   Hubal #33 08:42  |  S 27/10/07   53.   `Sanctions or force` 18:43  |  jjvanka 27/10/07

Today Online Experts: Syria cleared site hit by IAF in effort to hide evidence Responses: 275 Palestinians set fire to West Bank synagogue for second time Responses: 371 Rosner: Bush will lose Republican support if he pressures Israel Responses: 119 Harel and Issacharoff: Israel seeks to block Abbas route to Hamas Responses: 105 Yoni Goldstein: Despite Lieberman efforts, Montreal Jews aren't going anywhere Responses: 44 More Headlines 01:35 Pictures suggest Syrian reactor underway in 2001 01:50 Amos Oz, in Spain, says doubts gov't brave enough for peace 23:46 Livni heads to China in drive against Iran nuclear program 15:29 Rice consults Clinton, Carter in run-up to Annapolis summit 00:28 Ukraine President orders return of 700 confiscated Torah scrolls 20:18 U.S. military says THAAD missile defense system test successful 23:06 16-year-old arrested on suspected of raping younger sister, 11 15:49 Two women, girl killed in likely 'work accident' blast in Gaza 20:24 Vilnai: Gaza power cut not meant as punitive measure 20:32 PA signs anti-money laundering law aimed to block Hamas funds Previous Editions Select Day 26 oct 25 oct 24 oct 23 oct 22 oct 21 oct 19 oct 18 oct 17 oct 16 oct 15 oct 14 oct

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