Danby calls for Sanctions against Iran
As Britain’s diplomatic mission returns from Iran and Iranian diplomats are being expelled from Britain, Australian Labor MP Michael Danby has called on Australia to join European nations in imposing sanctions on Iran.
Michael Danby
Danby said: “The international community extends non-violent financial sanctions to prevent Iran acquiring nuclear weapons and the Iranian regime responds by failing to prevent the violent sacking of the British Embassy in Tehran.”
The attack follows a damning report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Iran’s drive to nuclear capability . The IAEA report found that the Iranian nuclear program has a military application. Britain, together with Canada and the United States have enacted new financial sanctions against the Government in Iran and its Central Bank.
“These new sanctions on Iran are critical to diplomatic and non-violent efforts of the international community to prevent Iranian nuclear weapons. The attack by Iranian militants on the British Embassy in Tehran yesterday in response to the IAEA report and the new sanctions and the Iranian regimes abject failure to prevent that attack was a deplorable abrogation of international behaviour” Mr Danby said.
Mr Danby added “International conventions protect foreign diplomatic postings. This is for very sensible reasons. While countries often disagree with each others polices (very strongly) the means of communications such as embassies have to remain protected. Only then conflict can be resolved or avoided between countries with different policies.”
The new sanctions were placed on Iran as the US, Canada and Britain want to show how seriously they view the alarming report of the IAEA.
Mr Danby believes that “Australia should now seriously think of joining the Canadian, British and American initiative, as a non-violent response to the Iranian regimes march towards war.”
Danby recounted that Australia has implemented measures enforcing United Nations Security Council’s sanctions against Iran and imposed “Autonomous” sanctions that go beyond those required by the Security Council. He agreed with Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd’s earlier statement “Consistent with Australia’s mounting concern about Iran’s nuclear program, the government will continue to explore additional sanctions.”
Now is the time to do exactly that and show Tehran that the international community will restrict access to Iran’s Central Bank as a measure to prevent Iran acquiring the atomic bomb.
Michael Danby is the Chairman of the Joint Standing Committee of Federal Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade.
Great Hypocricy! Rudd preaches disarmament and tells the US to keep its Nuclear weapons. Why should Israel be the sole nuclear power in the region ?