Name: Ambassador Samantha Powers: How to handle Iran's security violation
Uploaded: 2015-10-14
Duration: 4 min 34 s
Description: The country tested missiles this weekend, directly violating a U.N. security council resolution.

[ SOUND ] Something that just showed up on your desk. Iran's decision to test missiles over the weekend. The state department says that looks like it's in violation of a specific UN ban. Yes. What are you going to do about that? Unfortunately we have a lot of experience in New York dealing with violations of the UN Security Council resolutions. The resolution banning launches that appear to be like the one that Iran just carried out had been on the books for a long time and this is not the first time they have done that. So we will If in fact again we're just getting the specifics, but it does, all the indicators are that it would be a violation of the unsger. We'll go to the security council, present it, and then look at what further steps we can take. One of the really important features in implementation of the recent Iran deal, to dismantle Iran's nuclear program. Is going to have to be enforcement of the resolutions and the standards that remain on the [ CROSSTALK ] This is a test case, in many ways. Yes, it is. And we need other companies to step up. As you know, the P5 plus one, the reason we were able to get a strong deal that does cut off the pathways to Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon is because the P5 plus one, The permanent members of the security council, which include Russia and China. We were able to stay united. And we need to be united now on enforcement of existing sanctions, resolutions. Big question there though, the White House has said doesn't appear to violate the nuclear code that was just negotiated. Doesn't this violate the spirit, if not the text of that deal? I don't even think we need to get to that question. If again, the facts are as we believe them to be, it would violate UN security council resolutions. So, again, the deal, itself, was on a specific set of. Requirements. The UN Security Council Resolutions that remain in place are ones that we need to ensure are enforced. Mmhm. But you still see it going into effect this weekend, October 18, as scheduled. >. I think we have to walk and chew gum at the same time. We have to, in New York, make sure that there's accountability for any violation of the UN Council Resolutions. All right. We'll be watching, I'm sure. As you say, it's an important test case. I wanna talk to some of what your approach has been to this job. We are talking a lot about leading with purpose, and When people describe your role within the administration and how you've approached this job as ambassador, they often refer back to the job had previously. How activism, how humanizing conflict has really influenced your approach. You're one of the few US Officials who comes face- to- face with Russia on an almost daily basis. And you have said they have really held the agenda hostage at the UN. What is it like for you, day in, day out, watching the agenda you are pushing just get held hostage by Russia? How do you deal with that? You know, it's a mixed picture. It's a little more mixed than that. I think there's no question that on One of the gravest foreign policy issues and humanitarian catastrophes of our lifetime, Syria, the agenda has been held hostage. The ability to push forward with the political solution, negotiations to bring about the kind of transition that would cause a lot of fighters to put down their weapons and focus now on terrorism and on state building and so forth. We're a long way from that because Russia is pursuing a totally different course that is very counterproductive. But on Iran, as I mentioned, Russia stood with us not only in putting in place the toughest sanctions, measures that we had seen, but then following through and standing by us as we pushed for tough requirements in there. Yet they're standing with Iran in Syria. Exactly. That's what I'm saying. I mean, but we continue to manage a whole series of African crises where there's not that much obstructionism. They don't love sanctions and I think the experience of being sanctioned over Ukraine and Crimea Has made that sort of predisposition against sanctions even more acute. So that can make it challenging. But by and large, Syria and Ukraine, and now potentially Iraq, depending on how they move forward. I would put to one side, and the rest of our council agenda we're able to pursue.

The country tested missiles this weekend, directly violating a U.N. security council resolution.