CONFRONTATION WITH IRAN – AT 9:12 A.M. ET:  Events involving the Iranian nuclear program are proceeding rapidly.  On Monday a sham agreement was announced by Turkey and Brazil, two pals of Iran, that was intended to show Iranian "cooperation," and ward off new UN sanctions.

We weren't buying.  Secretary Clinton must be commended for her quick reaction to Monday's announcement.  Yesterday, the US announced that China and Russia had agreed to a new sanctions statement to be taken up by the Security Council.

Look, we're less than enthusiastic.  Any sanctions regime that has the support of Russia and China is going to be weak and full of holes.  But at least we didn't succumb to the pressure to put off talk of sanctions because of the Turkey/Iran "breakthrough."  That "breakthrough" is pretty much a dead issue, only two days after it was unveiled.

But we still have major problems.  The Security Council could still balk.  It could weaken a new sanctions agreement even further.  And what it does will probably not matter a bit to a determined Iran:

UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- The United States and its Western allies won crucial support from Russia and China for new sanctions against Iran over its suspect nuclear program, but they now face a tough campaign to get backing from the rest of the U.N. Security Council.

The draft resolution, obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press, would ban Iran from pursuing ''any activity related to ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons,'' freeze assets of nuclear-related companies linked to the Revolutionary Guard, bar Iranian investment in activities such as uranium mining, and prohibit Iran from buying several categories of heavy weapons including attack helicopters and missiles.

It would also call on all countries to cooperate in cargo inspections -- which must receive the consent of the ship's flag state -- if there are ''reasonable grounds'' to believe these activities could contribute to Iranian nuclear activities.

On the financial side, the draft calls on -- but does not require -- countries to block financial transactions, including insurance and reinsurance, and ban the licensing of Iranian banks if they have information that provides ''reasonable grounds'' to believe these activities could contribute to Iranian nuclear activities.

COMMENT:  Well, you can easily see the holes.  These sanctions are better than nothing, but they're the nearest thing to nothing.

Our Iran policy is failing.  The Iranian centrifuges are spinning.  By this time next year we'll be hearing a great deal about the wonders of containment of a nuclear Iran.

May 19, 2010