Posted on 07/16/2008 5:46:00 AM PDT by shrinkermd
In a bid to jump-start talks to end Iran's nuclear program, the Bush administration is sending the State Department's No. 3 diplomat to Geneva to meet with Tehran's top arms negotiator Saturday, the closest contact between the two countries since the Iranian revolution of 1979.
The White House's decision breaks sharply from Washington's long-held policy of refusing direct contacts with Tehran until it agrees to freeze its nuclear program. It is the latest backtracking from the unilateralist character of the first Bush term, and follows a recent deal with North Korea over its nuclear program.
U.S. officials said President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice decided to alter course because of encouraging signs that Tehran may be preparing to freeze its uranium-enrichment activities as part of broader negotiations with the international community.
In May, the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, plus Germany, offered an economic-incentives package to Tehran in exchange for its freezing its uranium-enrichment work. And the European Union's foreign-policy chief, Javier Solana, is scheduled to meet Saturday in Switzerland with Tehran's chief nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, to hear Iran's response.
...The Iranian response has stoked concerns in both Washington and Jerusalem that Tehran might simply be trying to divide the U.S. and the Europeans while waiting out the rest of President Bush's second term. These officials note that Iran is seeking relief from the growing economic pressure -- caused by the sanctions imposed by the U.S. and the Europeans -- which is stoking inflation and unemployment.
"These mixed signals could simply allow them to run out the clock," said David Wurmser, a former top Middle East adviser to Vice President Dick Cheney. "They figure there might be less pressure under a new administration."
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
BS.
I saw this last evening and thought, “He needs to tell them to start *duck and cover* drills”
“Appeasement in our time”
All we have to do is offer Iran enough money, and they will do whatever we want. At least, that’s what the Obamaführer says we have to do.
Our guy will go and get lied to big time but will give the Iranians everything they want, comeback and declare a great victory in diplomacy. The media will take for granted for years to come that the “Pow Wow in Geneva”(or whatever corny name they come up with) was the model for dealing with despots. Camp David Accords, Oslo, Geneva Conventions, Road Map, etc.
I hope they are going to accept the official apology of Iran for the sacking of our embassy and taking our citizens hostage for a year.
I don’t understand this being a big story. This isn’t the first time. We’ve tried this before over the past 29 yrs.
It didn’t work then, it won’t work now.
If it is backtracking then the need to do it can be laid squarely at the feet of the liberals who have done anything and everything in their power to obstruct the path of standing tall and firm.
There are no words for the contempt I have for those who have spent the entire Bush administration indulging their Bush Derangement Syndrome, usually at the cost of keeping something from happening that would have been for America.
And at the top of the list of contempt are the people in the Bush administration who chose to sabotage it at every turn rather than take the honorable way out and resign.
Bastards. That's the nearest I can come to finding a word that won't get my reply pulled.
Did they get the little floppy piece of paper?.... Cause it don't work without the floppy little piece of paper.. Just sayin.
Little stinky has sworn publicly to commit mass GENOCIDE, but would never LIE about his procurement of nukes.
Great minds FRiend, great minds! LOL
LOL!!!!!!!!
It appears that this policy is close to Obama’s position of no preconditions talks with Iran. McCain just lost one of the few issues he had going for him.
WSJ overlooked the fact that we’ve been talking to Iran more or less continuously.
“WSJ overlooked the fact that we’ve been talking to Iran more or less continuously.”
It’s a ridiculous story to begin with.
William Burns is going to Switzerland to attend talks with other reps from other countries and Jalili will also be in attendance. There aren’t any plans for Burns to meet separately with Jalili or to negotiate with him.
So what’s the Big story?
The MSM is using this to try to make Pres. Bush look weak /desperate, whatever.
Apparently, FReepers are willing to jump on the Bush bashing bandwagon without reading more.
And I left out, yes, you’re correct. We have been talking to this regime ad nauseum for almost 30yrs.
Bush and Rice are fools.
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