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WASHINGTON-The Bush administration ratcheted up pressure on Tehran last week with new sanctions on the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps-labeled a terrorist group by the U.S. Senate-but several lawmakers are wondering whether the latest step is a move closer to military action.The State Department insists the latest action and recent rhetoric from U.S. officials is merely potent diplomacy, but several Democrats aren't so sure that kind of language will work."It's important we keep a military option on the table. But it is also important that we not play right into the hands of the same fanatic who threatens Israel, by talking about attacking Iran so much," Sen. Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Sunday.On Thursday, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced sanctions on the IRGC, the elite military force under the control of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and on three of Iran's largest banks and eight people said to be engaged in missile trade and backing of extremist groups throughout the Middle East.Rice said the moves would further isolate the Islamic republic's government by further distancing it from the international economy and discouraging its trading partners from continuing to do business with it."These actions will help to protect the international financial system from the illicit activities of the Iranian government and they will provide a powerful deterrent to every international bank and company that thinks of doing business with the Iranian government," Rice said in an announcement with Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson."If the Iranian government fulfills its international obligation to suspend its uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities, I will join my British, French, Russian, Chinese and German colleagues and I will meet with my Iranian counterpart any time, anywhere. We will be open to the discussion of any issue. But if Iran's rulers choose to continue down a path of confrontation, the United States will act with the international community to resist these threats of the Iranian regime," Rice continued.The statement followed several weeks in which President Bush and other administration officials stepped up their commentary on Iran, and repeated their insistence that Iran's nuclear weapons pursuit not be allowed to continue.To read more go to:
As in the days of Noah....
