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The October Surprise (Talks with Iran)
PJ Media ^ | 20 October 2012 | Michael Ledeen

Posted on 10/21/2012 3:37:10 AM PDT by Erik Latranyi

The New York Times reports (and the White House denies) that “The United States and Iran have agreed for the first time to one-on-one negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program, according to Obama administration officials, setting the stage for what could be a last-ditch diplomatic effort to avert a military strike on Iran.”

Two of the three assertions in that lead paragraph are demonstrably false. One-on-one negotiations have been going on for years (most recently, according to my friend “Reza Kahlili,” in Doha, where, he was told, Valerie Jarrett and other American officials recently traveled for the latest talks). The only news here is that the talks would no longer be secret. And the notion that only diplomacy can avert “a military strike on Iran” is fanciful. There are at least two other ways: sanctions may compel the regime to stop its nuclear weapons program, or the Iranian people may find a way to overthrow the regime, thereby (perhaps, at least) rendering military action unnecessary.

I rather suspect that you don’t have to do anything to avoid an American military strike on Iran. I can’t imagine an Obama administration authorizing a military attack. An administration that can barely bring itself to fly air cover in Libya, and can’t bring itself to take any serious action in Syria, strikes me as very unlikely to unleash our armed forces against the mullahs.

As for the claim that Iran has agreed to talks, even that seems problematic, as the Times admits further down in its story: “American officials said they were uncertain whether Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had signed off on the effort.” If there is no approval from the supreme leader, there is no agreement at all.

(Excerpt) Read more at pjmedia.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: iran; michaelledeen; nukes; obama; october
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NY Slimes running a fake story to make Obama look good before the foreign policy debate.
1 posted on 10/21/2012 3:37:21 AM PDT by Erik Latranyi
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To: Erik Latranyi

It’ll look great for four minutes as the moderator at the debate asks about this and the President gives a 5-star performance. Then....Romney steps in, and says plainly....”yes, we will have peace in our time”, and then quietly grins at the camera.

Everyone will suddenly remember the quote, from 1938....Chamberlain’s great failure. The curtain ought to fall at that point.


2 posted on 10/21/2012 3:40:17 AM PDT by pepsionice
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To: Erik Latranyi
Remember Obama's 2008 promise of no " Pre Conditions " in talks or negotiations with Iran ?

Remember Liberals ? NO PRE-CONDITIONS....

Well, the pretext here for Iran to stop their Nuclear Program or Temporally Halt their nuclear program is to help Obama's re-Election campaign.......

NO PRE-CONDITIONS !

NO PRE-CONDITONS TO HELP RE-ELECT OBAMA !
3 posted on 10/21/2012 3:51:45 AM PDT by American Constitutionalist
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To: Erik Latranyi
iran has NEVER lived up to any agreement that they have ever made... not one... so jug ears and the slimes can... sorry... I am trying to clean up my act so you will have to use your own imagination.

LLS

4 posted on 10/21/2012 3:56:28 AM PDT by LibLieSlayer (OUR GOVERNMENT AND PRESS ARE NO LONGER TRUSTWORTHY OR DESERVING OF RESPECT!)
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To: Erik Latranyi

Valerie Jarrett and other American officials recently traveled for the latest talks).
these are the UNELECTED radical anti american criminals that are committing treasonist acts against the American people while we all look at the fasade of an empty suit as he spews platatudes, promises and lies. We have been the victim of a diabloical internal takeover that may very well destroy us. get the hell out and vote


5 posted on 10/21/2012 4:09:06 AM PDT by ronnie raygun (bb)
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To: Erik Latranyi

I do not see how this will have any impact on the election. The typical Obama voter can’t even spell Iran, let alone explain with any clarity why Iran is a foreign policy nightmare. Independents are not going to hang their vote on this issue, and Conservatives see it for the ruse that it is. It’s a non-issue, in election terms, except to make a couple of libtard journalists feel like they have made a contribution to the campaign. In terms of Iran’s impact, the Carter-Reagan election this is not.


6 posted on 10/21/2012 4:09:28 AM PDT by RobertClark (Be prepared, be polite, be professional and have a plan to kill everyone you meet.)
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To: pepsionice

President Obama will deny this (the White House has already denied this story) and the liberal media will say he cannot take credit at this time without jeopardizing the delicate negotiations......but it shows his policy of “engagement” works.

Just watch.


7 posted on 10/21/2012 4:13:23 AM PDT by Erik Latranyi (When religions have to beg the gov't for a waiver, we are already under socialism.)
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To: Erik Latranyi

Wonder what Reza Kahlili is doing in Doha


8 posted on 10/21/2012 4:22:38 AM PDT by nuconvert ( Khomeini promised change too // Hail, Chairman O)
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To: Erik Latranyi

If Joe Biden’s slip about “who served in Iran” is correct the Slime may have added another lie that was an omission—on the ground Special Ops in Iran.


9 posted on 10/21/2012 4:26:25 AM PDT by cgbg (No bailouts for New York and California. Let them eat debt.)
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To: Erik Latranyi

One idiot talking to one dictator. I won’t say which is which.


10 posted on 10/21/2012 4:35:49 AM PDT by HarleyD
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To: Erik Latranyi

I don’t see how setting up unilateral discussions with Iran is going to help Obama. It is a slap in the face to Israel, and it is one step short of negotiating with Al Qaeda.


11 posted on 10/21/2012 4:39:45 AM PDT by djpg
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To: RobertClark

According to Biden, we have family members that fought in the wars in Iraq and Iran.

Perhaps a deal will be cut to pull out our troops from Iran in exchange for a halt to Iran’s nukes./sarc


12 posted on 10/21/2012 4:46:40 AM PDT by dforest
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To: Erik Latranyi

More like an October fizzle. Cutting a deal with the mulahs isn’t going to impress conservatives...quite the contrary as the consensus is they can’t be trusted. And we will say so both correctly and loudly. The leftists weren’t going to vote for anyone except the won anyway. And it’s not on the radar for the middle.


13 posted on 10/21/2012 4:47:33 AM PDT by RKBA Democrat (Leftists are the small hive beetles of the American hive)
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To: Erik Latranyi
Maybe Joe Biden was foretelling when he said " Who knows someone who has served in Iraq or Iran?"!!!!!!!!

Is Monday the day that Obama goes to the Rose Garden to say he's got a deal with Iran????

14 posted on 10/21/2012 4:49:19 AM PDT by Ann Archy ( ABORTION...the HUMAN Sacrifice to the god of Convenience.)
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To: Erik Latranyi

So what.

They agreed to talk.

So did Adolf Hitler.


15 posted on 10/21/2012 4:55:44 AM PDT by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain and Proud of It! True supporters of our troops pray for their victory!)
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To: Erik Latranyi

Valerie Jarrett...she was probably just visiting her family.


16 posted on 10/21/2012 4:58:47 AM PDT by FES0844
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To: Erik Latranyi

Talks about talking about talks


17 posted on 10/21/2012 5:33:15 AM PDT by Siegfried X
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To: Erik Latranyi
Of course having secret one-on-one talks that exclude all the other players in the region, all the europeans and their business connections to Tehran, and Israel-
ground zero for Iran's future nuke weapons - is great diplomacy.

Plus you know exactly who to blame when the “agreement” is abrogated on Tehran’s whim and the centrifuges continue to multiply and prosper and the insane threats to annihilate Israel grow

SARC

obama’s personally throwing “foreign nations” (aka ISRAEL) under the bus for killing Ira nuke scientists - is just the cherry on the sundae

18 posted on 10/21/2012 5:35:49 AM PDT by silverleaf (Age Takes a Toll: Please Have Exact Change)
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To: FES0844

Valerie Jarrett’s parents are both Americans who met in Iran. She is not Iranian.


19 posted on 10/21/2012 5:41:07 AM PDT by nuconvert ( Khomeini promised change too // Hail, Chairman O)
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To: FES0844

Correction, they met in the U.S. and shortly afterward moved to Iran, where Valerie was born.


20 posted on 10/21/2012 5:44:16 AM PDT by nuconvert ( Khomeini promised change too // Hail, Chairman O)
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