US, Europe eye fast, risky penalty on Iran

US, Europe eye fast, risky penalty on Iran

WASHINGTON

The United States and Europe are considering unprecedented punishment against Iran that could immediately cripple the country’s financial lifeline. But it’s an extreme option in the banking world that would come with its own costs. The Obama administration wants Iran evicted from SWIFT, an independent financial clearinghouse that is crucial to the country’s overseas oil sales. That would leapfrog the current slow-pressure campaign of sanctions aimed at persuading Iran to drop what the U.S. and its allies contend is a drive toward developing and building nuclear weapons. It also perhaps would buy time for the U.S. to persuade Israel not to launch a pre-emptive military strike on Iran this spring.

Va. House passes abortion curbs

RICHMOND, Va.

A Republican super- majority has muscled two of the most restrictive anti-abortion bills in years through the Virginia House, including one that would all but outlaw the procedure in the state by declaring that the rights of persons apply from the moment sperm and egg unite. The bills passed over bitter yet futile objections from Democrats. And one GOP delegate caused the House to ripple when he said most abortions come as “matters of lifestyle convenience.”

Mormons apologize for Jewish baptisms

SALT LAKE CITY

Mormon church leaders apologized to the family of Holocaust survivor and Jewish-rights advocate Simon Wiesenthal after his parents were posthumously baptized, a controversial ritual that Mormons believe allows deceased people a way to the afterlife but offends members of many other religions.

Wiesenthal died in 2005 after surviving the Nazi death camps and spending his life documenting Holocaust crimes and hunting down perpetrators who remained at large. Jews are particularly offended by an attempt to alter the religion of Holocaust victims, who were murdered because of their religion, and the baptism of Holocaust survivors was supposed to have been barred by a 1995 agreement.

UN resolution could condemn regime

UNITED NATIONS

Egypt circulated a U.N. General Assembly resolution Tuesday strongly condemning human-rights violations by the Syrian regime and backing an Arab League plan aimed at ending the 11-month conflict in the country.

The draft resolution was finalized by Arab nations a day after U.N. human-rights chief Navi Pillay decried Syria’s escalating crackdown on civilian protesters and warned that the Security Council’s recent failure to take action has emboldened President Bashar Assad’s government to launch an all-out assault to crush dissent.

Diplomats said the resolution could be put to a vote in the 193-member assembly as early as Thursday and is likely to be adopted by a wide margin. There are no vetoes in the assembly — unlike the Security Council where Russia and China vetoed a similar, legally binding resolution Feb. 4.

Md. House to weigh same-sex marriage

ANNAPOLIS, Md.

In an unusual two- committee vote Tuesday evening, Maryland delegates grappled with several proposed amendments before voting 25-18 to send controversial same-sex marriage legislation to the full state House, where it could be debated as early as today.

The 25 yes votes included the first in the state House by a Republican, Delegate Robert Costa.

Combined dispatches