Iran Referred to UN; It's About Time, Israel Says

Moving with their usual efficient speediness (sarcasm -ed.), the "paper tiger" U.N. has had Iran referred to them for action. I wonder how many S.C. resolutions they will pass against Iran? While they pass all these highly effective resolutions (sarcasm again -ed.), Iran will continue to develop their nuclear weapons.

Jerusalem (CNSNews.com) - Israel expressed satisfaction Thursday over the referral of Iran to the United Nations Security Council for possible sanctions. Israel for years has been pressing the international community to contain what it views as a growing security threat.
And if the U.N. fails to halt Iran's apparent pursuit of nuclear weapons, the Israeli defense minister said Israel would have all it needs to defend its citizens.
"The State of Israel has many drawers, containing all it needs in order to defend our citizens," Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said on Wednesday. He added that Israel would not turn a "blind eye" to any threat it faces but would do everything necessary to see "that the threat is not realized."
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has refused to bow to global pressure. After his country was referred to the U.N. Security Council, he said the West would suffer more than Iran from any attempt to impose sanctions on the Islamic regime.
"They [Western countries] know that they are not capable of inflicting the slightest blow on the Iranian nation because they need the Iranian nation," Ahmadinejad was quoted in press reports as saying by the semi-official ISNA students' news agency.
"They will suffer more, and they are vulnerable," he said.
Iran, which holds OPEC's second largest oil reserves, has hinted that it would limit oil exports if the U.N. imposes economic sanctions. It also has indicated that it could send some of the terrorists it supports to make trouble for the U.S. and Israel.
Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying that Iran's enemies would "never succeed in forcing the Iranian nation to step back on its rights over peaceful nuclear technology because it never accepts humiliation."
Mohamed elBaradei, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog, sent his report on Iran's nuclear activities to the Security Council following the IAEA Board of Governors' Wednesday meeting.
ElBaradei urged a "cool-headed approach" and a lowering of the rhetoric. He also described the referral as another step in the diplomatic process.
Israel supports the decision to move the Iranian nuclear files to the United Nations Security Council," said Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev. "We have been calling for this to happen for quite awhile now."
Regev said it's important that the international community "speak with a clear and united voice and send a message to Tehran, which says that either you cease your aggressive military nuclear program or you endanger your relationship with the entire organized community of nations."
The Iranians must understand that if they continue with their aggressive nuclear program, there will be consequences, he added.
The U.S. also has pushed for Iran to be referred to the Security Council. The U.S., Israel and other Western nations believe that Iran is using its civilian nuclear program as a cover for developing a nuclear bomb. Iran denies the charges.
Earlier this week, Vice President Dick Cheney said that the U.S. was "keeping all options on the table" in dealing with the regime in Iran.
He also said that the U.S. would not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon and that the international community could take action that would have "meaningful consequences" for Iran.