PRESS RELEASE
Russia and China Issue Clear Warnings
against Hit on Iran
Nov. 10, 2011 (EIRNS)—Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters at a press conference in Moscow Nov. 7 that an Israeli strike against Iran's nuclear program "would be a grave mistake, fraught with unpredictable consequences," reported RIA Novosti. He argued that, instead, the crisis can only be solved by applying principles embedded within the UN Charter, and by creating the conditions for such. "The use of force is possible only in two cases, provided for by the UN Charter: either in self-defense, when you have been attacked militarily, or by authorization of the UN Security Council. There is not yet a glimpse of either condition in this case, and I hope that there will not be," he said.
Lavrov also emphasized that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have only led to greater misery, and called for a return to the UN Security Council plus Germany talks.
"For more than a year, already, the Russian Federation has been offering specific, constructive proposals for unblocking the current dead end. Our proposals remain on the negotiating table, and I hope that actions will not be taken which would, deliberately or not, destroy the chances that still exist."
A Nov. 9 editorial in China's semi-official paper Global Times raises the alarm in a slightly different way:
"The last few days have seen tensions over Iran take a sharp turn for the worse. Some feel that the US and Israel should combine to strike at Iranian nuclear facilities. This is reminiscent of those who encouraged NATO to hit Syria a few weeks ago. Other countries that take an anti-Western stance, like North Korea, have also faced similar threats before. Even with bigger countries like China and Russia, elements in the US have also clamored for an attack to eliminate their nuclear power once and for all... While the US and other Western countries are struggling economically, their military power reigns supreme. This contrast is inevitably tempting in their strategic thinking but would have a profoundly negative impact on world peace. War has not plagued most developed countries at home for over half a century. And attacking Iran would not yield victims on their own territories."
