ANOTHER SETBACK FOR AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY – AT 9:26 A.M. ET:  After all the chest-thumping about sanctions on Iran – coming in weeks, the president said, sounding like a pitchman for a new feature film – we've suffered a setback at the UN.  Financial Times reports:

The United Nations Security Council yesterday failed to include Iran's nuclear programme on its agenda for April, underlining the likely slow road to sanctions that Barack Obama, US president, had hoped to have in place "within weeks".

Japan's Yukio Takasu, this month's president of the 15-member council, said no meeting had been scheduled because it was not yet clear "when this might be taken up. It may not be taken up."

What?  What did that man just say?

Mr Obama, buoyed by what Washington officials perceived as a shift in China's attitude towards imposing fresh sanctions on Iran, said a week ago that he wanted to see a fourth round of UN measures in place within weeks.

China had insisted that further time should be given for a diplomatic solution to the nuclear stand-off. But western diplomats said that Beijing was now ready to engage on the sanctions issue by attending talks in New York among ambassadors of the so-called P5 plus one - the five permanent members of the Security Council and Germany.

Chinese officials have been circumspect and the talks, which could be a prelude to Beijing accepting increased pressure on Iran, have yet to be scheduled.

I can't stand the swift pace of this progress.  I'm out of breath already.  Aren't you?

Mr Takasu said yesterday that, even if the P5 plus one eventually agreed a package of proposed sanctions, it would be "highly desirable" for the 10 nonpermanent members of the council, including Japan, to also be consulted. "It's the intention of the concerned countries to have a resolution in the Security Council," said Mr Takasu, whose country has supported previous sanctions measures. "How soon and how we will be consulted, we will have to wait and see."

COMMENT:  Wait and see?  What a sense of urgency.  Our relationship with Japan has deteriorated recently, and Mr. Takasu's marked indifference might be a reflection of that.  Maybe if Japan attacked Pearl Harbor again, Obama would show the Japanese more respect.  It's the way things are.

April 6, 2010