Meeting in Moscow this week, the veto-holding members of the United Nations Security Council yet again couldn't reach a common position on Iran . China and Russia repeated their rejection of any proposals to impose sanctions against Tehran, depriving Washington of the hard line approach it is seeking to stop Iran's controversial nuclear program. German newspapers on Thursday believe history is repeating itself.

Center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung says the world community hasn't learned from its mistakes over the Iraq war and is giving Iran a free ride. "Tehran is constantly receiving conflicting signals which simply encourage it to carry on as before: the regime is enriching uranium, resisting controls by the (UN nuclear watchdog) IAEA  and threatening to destroy Israel," writes the paper. "So far it hasn't paid a price for these breaches of law and provocations because the world can't agree on a price."

The veto powers on the Security Council are ignoring the most obvious options because they conflict with their own individual interests, the paper adds. It would make sense for the United States to enter into direct talks with Iran and to offer security guanrantees as a carrot. "After the Americans' disastrous campaign against Iraq it may have made sense to try engagement with Iran, the way it did with nuclear-armed India, by the way." But the US is too proud to offer its arch-enemy a face-saving compromise, according to the editorial. It would also make sense for China and Russia to up the pressure on Iran by identifying red lines -- giving the country a clear idea of what they regard as unacceptable. "But Moscow and Beijing don't want to commit themselves, firstly because of economic interests and secondly because they prefer to block Western moves rather than solving a problem themselves," writes the paper. The world's major powers haven't even been able to agree on action against Sudan over the deaths of hundreds of thousands in the province of Darfur, it points out. "Just like before the Iraq war, the Security Council is paralyzed by conflicting interests but also by traditionally very different attitudes towards the use of sanctions or force. International law often fails to prevail amid these foreign policy conflicts," writes Süddeutsche. "Both Iran and Sudan can feel pretty safe."

Mass circulation Bild Zeitung points out that Iran, the world's fourth-largest oil producer, is benefiting from the surge in oil prices caused by its "devlish game with the world community's fear on an Islamic atom bomb." "Tehran doesn't have atom bombs yet but it's had an oil bomb for a long time. Both together make the terror regime hard to attack. From the mullahs' point of view this can go on forever. And they've got to be slapping their thighs with joy when they see how week after week, the Security Council is unable to agree on a common policy. Only by agreeing with each other can the Americans, Russians and Europeans bring Tehran to its knees by peaceful means!"

Conservative Die Welt is less downbeat, saying Tehran is still several years off building a bomb. "The international community still has time for diplomacy: Moscow can finally state what it means by pursuing negotiations with Iran and where its red lines are. Beijing can try to influence Iran too, because China too is unlikely to be comfortable with a nuclear power whose leadership is hoping for the return of the 12th Imam and the end of earthly life," writes Die Welt. "The US and Europe still have an opportunity to get the Russians and Chinese on their side."

--David Crossland, 12:00 p.m. CET

Mr Hu Goes to Washington

Meanwhile Washington rolled out the red carpet for Chinese President Hu Jintao who arrived in the US capital for a summit with US President George Bush on the third day of his four-day visit to America, with analysts saying the White House meeting is unlikely to yield any significant agreements.

Financial Times Deutschland says relations between the two powers are complicated and unclear, and recommends that they put ideological differences aside. Beijing will only be prepared to cooperate meaningfully with the West if it doesn't constantly fear that its partners want it to undergo regime change, writes the paper. Treating it as an important partner in the international community and offering it something in return for its cooperation is likely to be more effective than reminding China of the need to adopt democratic values, the paper adds. "But if China wants to be accepted internationally it also needs to state more clearly what its interests are -- for example in the nuclear dispute with Iran," the paper adds. "It's self-evident that the major powers want to preserve their national interests. And it's inevitable that they will get in each other's way as a result. Because there can be no real lasting consensus between the US and China, their goal must be to reach agreement on action rather than thought."

Business daily Handelsblatt says it's significant that Hu visited Microsoft and Boeing in Seattle before travelling on to meet Bush. "It shows that the economic ties with America are the priority for him. But Hu's unusual travel plans won't change the fact that the Chinese leader will have to face some uncomfortable questions today in Washington. Economic relations between the two countries have become a sensitive political issue in the US capital. The long list of accusations against China ranges from product piracy and dark energy deals to currency manipulation." The US blames unfair Chinese trading practices for its gigantic $200 billion trade deficit with China. The problem is that imposing economic sanctions on China, as some in Congress are demanding, would hit US companies, consumers and jobs, writes Handelsblatt.