Posted on 07/18/2008 1:06:33 PM PDT by mojito
TEHRAN — Iran's top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili on Friday expressed optimism that weekend talks attended for the first time by the United States over their nuclear standoff would be constructive, provided Washington came with the right approach.
"What is important for us is with what approach they come to the talks. If it is with a constructive approach, and that they refrain from past mistakes, then for sure we will have constructive talks," he was quoted as saying by the official IRNA news agency before leaving Tehran for Geneva....
And in a major policy shift by Washington, US Under-secretary of State William Burns will be at the talks.
[snip]
Tehran's Friday prayer leader in a sermon broadcast live on state radio that Iran "will show goodwill," if it is reciprocated.
"From the beginning we said that we seek constructive talks, which must be without precondition and threat. We believe that if talks are done with goodwill then Islamic Iran will come forward with goodwill and the talks will have results," senior cleric Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami said.
"But if they are held under the influence of the Zionist regime or the arrogant powers, then just as before it will be fruitless," he warned.
Earlier this week, US officials said that the "new tactic" of sending a senior official to the talks amounted to sending a signal to Iran that Washington wanted a negotiated settlement to the deadlock over Iran's refusal to bow to international demands.
Washington has long said it will not negotiate with Iran until it first suspends uranium enrichment and insisted on Wednesday that Burns was travelling to Geneva to listen to Iran's response and not negotiate.
(Excerpt) Read more at afp.google.com ...
The Iranians will not stop enrichment. That is the bottom line.
All the rest is show.
"refrain from past mistakes...us? Somebody needs ta trowe dis guy a beatin'
FUHGEDDABOUDIT!!!!
Bush is sacrificing consistent American policy since 1979 to get the price of crude down a little?
And listening to Rice, who turned Lebanon and Gaza into Iranian bases?
Pathetic.
If that is all he does I have no problems with it. I would rather we get our info on Iran's response first hand. Depending on a power sympathetic to Iran to relay it may cause them to "pretty" it up some. Any more then that would be a huge mistake IMHO.
You hit the nail right on the head!
This is the last straw for iran and it needs to be official.
You know they won’t stop enrichment, and we can’t back down.
Hourglass flips when iranian response is given.
RS
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