Rice Offers Iran Prospect of Normal Ties

Reuters ^ | 01/23/08 | Sue Pleming

[cowdog77]

DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Wednesday she believed the nuclear stand-off with Iran could be resolved diplomatically but that Tehran must not be allowed to become a nuclear weapons power.

Just one day after getting agreement on a draft U.N. Security Council resolution against Tehran, Rice offered the incentive of a "more normal relationship" and expanded trade if Iran gave up sensitive nuclear work, according to the prepared text of her speech to the World Economic Forum in Switzerland.

"Ultimately, though, we believe that we can resolve this problem through diplomacy," Rice said according to the text, which was distributed by conference organizers.

"If Iran would suspend its uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities - which is an international demand, not just an American one - then we could begin negotiations, and we could work over time to build a new, more normal relationship," she said.

Rice said this new relationship could be defined not by fear and mistrust but growing cooperation, expanding trade and exchange, and the peaceful resolution of differences.

In a conciliatory note after weeks of anti-Iranian rhetoric by the Bush administration, Rice said the United States had no desire for Iran to be a "permanent enemy".

"Iranians are a proud people with a great culture, and we respect the contributions they have made to world civilization," she said.

But she said Washington had real differences with Iran's government, from its pursuit of a nuclear weapon to support for terrorism and what the United States sees as Tehran's destabilizing policies in Iraq.

Rice said that agreement reached between foreign ministers of major powers in Berlin on Tuesday for a third sanctions resolution showed that the world remained united over not wanting Iran to become a nuclear weapons power.

"We will continue to hold Iran to its international obligations," said Ric

[cowdog77]

Shades of North Korea ~ The State Department just never learns!!

[CJ Wolf]

“The State Department just never learns!!”

Come on another Daft UN resolution? Gotta be good, maybe we can use it in our next ‘authorization of force’ declaration.

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

In some strange fashion, I almost wish that the Iranians would light a test nuke off in their desert just to prove to Condi and her State Department minions exactly how stupid they have been in dealing with both the mullahs and North Koreans.

[F15Eagle]

"Ultimately, though, we believe that we can resolve this problem through diplomacy," Rice said according to the text

Why do I get the feeling the American taxpayer is about to send money to Iran in the name of "diplomacy"? After all, isn't this how North Korea was "appeased"?

[BigFinn]

Condippeasment.

[stuartcr]

I’m sure she’s just obeying her orders.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I didn't know until today that in October 1999, North Korea towed the captured US Navy ship Pueblo from Wonson on the east coast to Nampo on the west coast. to get from one side of the peninsula to the other, the NKs sailed through international waters and, no doubt, under the steady view of our satellites.
Who was president of the United States in 1999 ?

[G.Mason]

Go get ‘em Jorge. Fight that WOT, and the war on drugs, and the war on American citizens, and the war on the conservatives, and the ...

[LibertyRocks]

Agreed. Does anyone really think they will truly give up their quest? I think this would just push it further underground... Shades of N. Korea is right! UGH...

[edcoil]

Yesterday, the state department spokesman note the North Korean 6 country discussions were in complete breakdown.

They give billions of our dollars away for nothing and it is exactly what we get.

[F15Eagle]

True. But had he gone after it, it would have been labeled “Wag the Dog”, no?

[WhistlingPastTheGraveyard]

Bring Ahmadinejad and the mad mullahs an autographed basketball and a bottle of Pierre Jouet. They’ll forget all about the 12th Imam and their dreams of a caliphate.

[SJackson]

If you'd like to be on this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

High volume. Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking on the Topic or Keyword Israel, WOT

..................

[rjp2005]

Peace in our time.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I’m just astounded.

[cowdog77]

The U.N.’s top humanitarian affairs official, John Holmes, rebuked Israel for meting out collective punishment and Condoleezza Rice urged Israeli leaders to avert a humanitarian crisis. She did not repeat her “failure is not an option” mantra. Perhaps that’s better left for a bumper sticker, along with “Rice go home.”

[kinsman redeemer]

(finally... a new "Breaking News" story)

[AU72]

I get a horrible vision of Rice visiting Tehran like Albright’s fiasco in Pyongyang.

[weegee]

Didn’t the Shah of Iran send Lazlo Toth/aka Fr. Guido Sarducci a nice tie in the 1970s?

[Billthedrill]

Great idea. We normalize relations with Iran. Just as soon as (1) our embassy is rebuilt, (2) the people kidnapped and held for 444 days are paid reparations, (3) the parties responsible including Mahmoud Ahmadinejad are imprisoned for breaking Iranian and international law in the matter, (4) the sitting government issues a public apology for the outrageous and illegal violation of U.S. property and people there, and (5) the survivors and heirs of Iranian-sponsored terrorism such as the Marine barracks bombing in Beirut are properly compensated and the instigators brought to justice.

Until then no deal.

[weegee]

Less than a year left in office. This won’t amount to anything lasting.

[sappy]

new world order i guess, condi.

[Cold Heat]

This is simply a reiteration of our current and only public policy.

It was prompted by the recent butt whooping that the real power in Iran gave to president Amanutjob.

It will likely be ignored by Iran's High Council, but the true audience was the Iranian people.

IMO, this is a good policy.

[mojito]

Diplomats always believe everything can be resolved through negotiations: meetings, meetings, more meeting, a press statement, and still more meetings. For the State Department mind, there is no difference between inertia and resolution. Fanatics taking action to bring about the things that they say and believe is just too crude and unwashed. Besides, they never get invited to Davos to sit on a self-important panel to discuss important global events.

[668 - Neighbor of the Beast]

Diplomats always believe everything can be resolved through negotiations: meetings, meetings, more meeting, a press statement, and still more meetings. For the State Department mind, there is no difference between inertia and resolution. Fanatics taking action to bring about the things that they say and believe is just too crude and unwashed...

Ping to wisdom. Well said mojito!

[Eric in the Ozarks]

You’re entirely too cynical, Mojito. Just look at all the successes Secretary Rice has had at, ah...well...

[BlueDragon]

"Rice Offers Iran Prospect of Normal Ties"

yeah, ok, that would be ok for the Iranians, but we should be sticking with using

since it's much less likely we could get strangled with a clip on!

[Cecily]

“Rice said this new relationship could be defined not by fear and mistrust but growing cooperation, expanding trade and exchange, and the peaceful resolution of differences.”

Would the Iranians and their proxies stop killing/helping to kill our soliders in Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East? You should add it to your daydream list, Condi.

[Blogatron]

Fresh hostages!

[Cecily]

“Diplomats always believe everything can be resolved through negotiations: meetings, meetings, more meeting, a press statement, and still more meetings. For the State Department mind, there is no difference between inertia and resolution.”

Don’t forget the boondoggles, summits, conferences, and fact-finding junkets. Those accomplish a lot (of nothing) too.

[dainbramaged]

Maybe she can play the piano for them.

[RightWhale]

Pres Bush already yelled this across the Persian Gulf a couple weeks ago. The USA is the best friend they could ever have. All they have to do is stop the silliness.

[Ann Archy]

Condi....GO AWAY!

[america4vr]

Rice Offers Iran Prospect of Normal Ties.
Iran is a theocracy, its goals,objectives driven first and foremost by their religious convictions which obligates them to be in a perpetual state of war with infidels, without accommodation.
If the administration is using this simply as a tactic to demonstrate its willingness to resolve the coming global Iranian immolation diplomatically that's understandable. Otherwise, to the megalomaniac minds of
the Iranians it simply resonates with palpable weakness that the US, the world does not possess the wherewithal to stop the them.

[JasonC]

Earth to Rice - they don't want "normal ties". They want 20 nuclear weapons a year and Russian patronage. And no, you are not "holding" anybody to "international obligations", you are just making the US an international laughingstock.

[Count of Monte Logan]

A diplomatic opening to Iran is good. Do you want to kill them instead?

I want to WIN against Iran, but if you can win by getting the Mullahs to look at the China route and change them economically, that eliminates the post-war rebuilding effort as well as the war itself(and terroristm attacks from Iran’s people here in the US.. and they will try!) the whole world wins.

With Iraq there now, the foundation for Iran to change helps us there and in Afghanistan.. and Syria. If we can win against Iran this way, it kills terrorism at it’s root.

[Cecily]

“A diplomatic opening to Iran is good.”

Neville Chamberlain thought he had Hitler squared away too. Diplomacy doesn’t work with irrational mad dogs, as we are probably going to find out the hard way eventually with Iran. We never seem to learn.

[demshateGod]

I just really can’t wait till these people are out of office.

[tpanther]

I’d agree if she offered it to Iranian citizens that are hungry for a new govt.

[pierrem15]

It's really sad that, as far as foreign policy goes, the ATFE, amnesty, etc., etc., I'm counting the days until Jorge is out.

Bush has zero control over any of the bureaucracies, and it's getting harder and harder to tell the difference between him and the Rats on a lot of issues.

[G8 Diplomat]

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Wednesday she believed the nuclear stand-off with Iran could be resolved diplomatically

[G8 Diplomat]

LOL! Ahmadinejad never wears a tie to begin with....

[PzLdr]

How could the woman be THAT stupid? Must besomething in the State Dept. water coolers.

[AnimalLover]

ping

[The Spirit Of Allegiance]

Condi, this reflects neither intelligence nor wisdom. Of all the people I didn't expect to succumb to Stockholm Syndrome...

[HeartlandOfAmerica]

There ya go! Reward them for being a bunch of Hitleresque thugs! At'll learn em!!

No. The State Dept will NEVER learn!