(AP) Robert Burns - The Obama administration is shifting the focus of its Iran policy from talk to sanctions, but the prospect of winning early international support for toughened new penalties appears dim. Equally problematic is finding a set of sanctions that would have a significant impact on Iran's pursuit of an atom bomb. While diplomacy has been unsuccessful so far, it may improve the administration's chances on sanctions by demonstrating to the Europeans, Chinese and others that Washington has at least tried to find an accommodation with Iran. "Many of them are still instinctively against sanctions, but Iranian intransigence has put them in a bind," said Karim Sadjadpour, an Iran expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
2009-11-20 08:19:49Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive