U.N. Security Council explains the Iran issue to Amherst
BY Bob Dunn
Staff Writer
Published on January 05, 2007
AMHERST - An Amherst Town Meeting resolution urging diplomacy over military action against Iran has caught the attention of the United Nations Security Council.
In a letter dated Nov. 24, Sir Emyr Jones Parry, the United Kingdoms ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations Security Council, acknowledged receipt of the letter from Amherst enclosing the results of the Nov. 1 Town Meeting resolution.
In the letter, Jones Parry said, While it would not be appropriate for me to comment on the United States Governments policy towards Iran, I wanted to share with you our latest assessment of the Iran nuclear situation and the Security Councils response to that.
Jones Parry said that Iran has refused to comply with U.N. Security Council Resolution 1696, which calls for Iran to suspend its nuclear enrichment and reprocessing activities.
Because of that refusal, the United Kingdom, France and Germany have drafted a successor resolution to 1696 that would introduce measures against Iran that could include the severance of diplomatic and economic relations and complete or partial interruptions of sea, air and rail transportation, as well as postal, radio, telegraphic and other means of communications under Article 41 of the U.N. charter.
Article 41 of the U.N. charter outlines measures that do not involve armed force.
That draft is being negotiated by the aforementioned countries as well as Russia, China and the United States, according to Jones Parrys letter.
Jones Parry said that the countries involved had presented a package of proposals to Iran in June that would allow for the development of relations and cooperation with Iran based on mutual respect.
That offer remains on the table, according to Jones Parry.
Copies of the resolution urging diplomacy with Iran were sent to Amhersts congressional delegation, President Bush, the Iranian ambassador to the United States and the Iranian Embassy, in addition to the members of the U.N. Security Council.
The resolution has also been acknowledged by representatives of Iran.
Amherst recently received a letter of appreciation on behalf of the Islamic Republic of Iran recognizing ... the courageous stance of the participants of the Amherst Town Meeting in urging diplomacy with Iran and expressing opposition to any U.S. military action against our country.
That letter, sent by Mostafa Rahmani, director of the Interests Section of the Islamic Republic of Iran, stated that a copy of the Amherst Town Meeting resolution was forwarded to the office of the president of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Amherst has not received any direct response from Ahmadinejads office yet, but will be notified by Rahmani if a response is received, according to Rahmanis letter.
Three other resolutions dealing with national and international political issues were approved during that same Nov. 1 session.
The first called for the impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Cheney, the second urged the U.S. to put pressure on the Sudanese government to stop the genocide in the Darfur region of that country and the third called for an immediate withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq.
Amherst also received a response from U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., regarding the resolution on Iraq.
In a letter dated Dec. 4, Frank wrote that he has been and still is an advocate of withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq but refrained from using the word immediate in his response.
Frank said in his letter that he had been against the war from the outset and that now that the Democratic party was in control of Congress, he planned on working to pressure the administration into withdrawing U.S. troops.
