Getting the Talks Started
The current US regime finally got the message from the world community and offered direct talks with Iran. This is the good news. The bad news is that the US is insisting that Iran must cease all uranium enrichment before the talks can take place. Iran, quite naturally, is balking because it is being asked to give up the enrichment program before engaging in negotiations about giving up the enrichment program. Pakistan's The Nation notes the Through-the-Looking-Glass nature of the US's conditional offer in a June 2, 2006 editorial.
...But Washington's conditions for direct talks are unrealistic. These include the immediate suspension of all of Iran's enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, as well as full cooperation with the IAEA and greater IAEA access to Tehran's nuclear facilities.
The Bush Administration simply must be realistic. Iran is within its rights to undertake enrichment for its civilian nuclear energy needs. Indeed, it has already announced that it has stepped over the enrichment threshold, but has undertaken not to go beyond that. Tehran, too, has said it is willing to hold talks.
It is the height of hypocrisy for Washington to reward India - the nation which ignited South Asia's nuclear arms race - by providing it with civilian nuclear technology, while at the same time punishing Iran, which says it has no plans to acquire nuclear weapons. If President Bush is really sincere in his claim that he wants a "positive relationship between the American people and the people of Iran," then the U.S. should enter talks with Tehran without preconditions. [Emphasis added]
While the editorialist reveals the continuing Pakistani anger over the US deal with India concerning nuclear aid, he does have a point. If the US is truly willing to negotiate an end to the impasse, it should be willing to go into the talks without preconditions, especially a precondition which is the very subject of the impasse. Iran claims it is willing to talk, so now is the time to strike a deal.
No one wants another country with a nuclear weapon, especially one that is run by extremists posing as religious leaders in the tinder box regions of the Middle East and South East Asia. At the same time, however, imposing the severe UN sanctions the US is pushing for will do nothing but crush the dissent within Iran as national pride takes over. Using the military option will do nothing but solidify the belief in the Islamic world that the US is on a crusade.
It's time for the Emperor to zip it up and get serious about a rational solution to this problem.
...But Washington's conditions for direct talks are unrealistic. These include the immediate suspension of all of Iran's enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, as well as full cooperation with the IAEA and greater IAEA access to Tehran's nuclear facilities.
The Bush Administration simply must be realistic. Iran is within its rights to undertake enrichment for its civilian nuclear energy needs. Indeed, it has already announced that it has stepped over the enrichment threshold, but has undertaken not to go beyond that. Tehran, too, has said it is willing to hold talks.
It is the height of hypocrisy for Washington to reward India - the nation which ignited South Asia's nuclear arms race - by providing it with civilian nuclear technology, while at the same time punishing Iran, which says it has no plans to acquire nuclear weapons. If President Bush is really sincere in his claim that he wants a "positive relationship between the American people and the people of Iran," then the U.S. should enter talks with Tehran without preconditions. [Emphasis added]
While the editorialist reveals the continuing Pakistani anger over the US deal with India concerning nuclear aid, he does have a point. If the US is truly willing to negotiate an end to the impasse, it should be willing to go into the talks without preconditions, especially a precondition which is the very subject of the impasse. Iran claims it is willing to talk, so now is the time to strike a deal.
No one wants another country with a nuclear weapon, especially one that is run by extremists posing as religious leaders in the tinder box regions of the Middle East and South East Asia. At the same time, however, imposing the severe UN sanctions the US is pushing for will do nothing but crush the dissent within Iran as national pride takes over. Using the military option will do nothing but solidify the belief in the Islamic world that the US is on a crusade.
It's time for the Emperor to zip it up and get serious about a rational solution to this problem.
posted by Diane at 4:38 AM
1 Comments:
If only the idiot at the helm had two dimensions. But that is not the case. I honestly think the concept of another being having pride is beyond the cretin in chief.
Good tho'ts, Diane, and thnks for the article.
from Ruth
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