Consensus on Iran unlikely; Rice delayed

[GeorgeGist]

LONDON - A meeting of world powers Friday on whether to refer
Iran to the
U.N. Security Council over its nuclear program was disrupted when Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice's flight was delayed, giving leaders little time to reach a consensus and making it unlikely.
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The United States has led calls for sanctions against Iran, and even before the meeting went ahead — without Rice — Russia and the
European Union negotiator said there was still room in the dispute for diplomacy, an indication of the reluctance to move decisively.

"We do not rule out additional measures" to persuade Iran to respond to international concerns about its nuclear program, the Interfax news agency quoted Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov as saying, indicating Moscow could agree to sanctions at some point. However, ITAR-Tass quoted him as saying there is still room for diplomacy.
...
Plans for the session were thrown into question, however, after Rice's flight from
Iraq to London was delayed by about two hours because of mechanical problems on her C-17 military transport.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061006/ap_on_re_eu/iran_nuclear;_ylt=Al_XgfAu0ex9cBJsbKb0XgWs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA2Z2szazkxBHNlYwN0bQ--

[Karenina]

1. Offered without comment

[maseman]

2. "I love the feel of your soft fluffy balls Georgie..."