Thursday, October 29, 2009
Talking with Tehran, again and again
It was so nice to see the latest overture to Tehran bear fruit in quite copious quantities, as AP reports:
Iran's president pledged Thursday to work with the West to resolve a standoff over its nuclear program even as his country reportedly balked at a U.S.-backed deal to limit its uranium enrichment and curb its ability to make a nuclear warhead.(Emphasis added)
A Western diplomat said Iran rejected a plan to export most of its enriched uranium, offering instead to enrich it to a higher level inside the country under U.N. supervision.
The disconnect between the words of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Tehran's decision, as related by the diplomat, reflected the difficulties facing international negotiators trying to persuade Iran to give up enrichment.
Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, whose country holds told the European Union's rotating presidency, was dismissive after seeing the offer.
"It's the same old tricks," he told the AP: "A back-and-forth for further talks."
This is turning into a high-stakes real-life version of the movie Groundhog Day, except I don't think anyone gets to sleep with Andie MacDowell at the end.
Then there's the old joke, "Why do you keep hitting yourself in the head with a hammer like that?"
"Because it feels so good when I stop."
The difference being, I am not sure talks ever stop, even (or especially) after Iran tests its first nuclear weapon.
6 Comments:
By 
, at
Thu Oct 29, 07:47:00 PM:
This is turning into a high-stakes real-life version of the movie Groundhog Day, except I don't think anyone has to sleep with Andie MacDowell at the end.
Fixed.
By 
Christopher Chambers, at
Thu Oct 29, 10:55:00 PM:
Why don't we just have a war and get it over with. That's what you all really want, anyway, eh? The rub--TH should go fight it. He's in shape, and can use a firearm. It's only fair...
By , at
Fri Oct 30, 12:33:00 AM:
No, we don't want to fight, history has shown that its much better to talk while people are shipped to the ovens. Wouldn't want to take a inconvenient stand for humanity or anything.
By Gary Rosen, at
Fri Oct 30, 12:52:00 AM:
"history has shown that its much better to talk while people are shipped to the ovens."
That's just what Chrissy would like to see. He's nostalgic.
By , at
Fri Oct 30, 10:20:00 AM:
Iran is simply using the strategy that the NorKors and Arafat used so successfully. They just keep negotiating, going over the same ground over and over again, doing what they want while we are talking. I used to love Arafat's new list of pre-condition demands.
Obama already has his Norwegian medal so maybe he doesn't have to do anything else.
By Dawnfire82, at
Fri Oct 30, 11:36:00 AM:
Why don't we just GIVE them nuclear weapons and get it over with. That's what you really want, anyway, eh Chambers? The rub--you should move to Tel Aviv. You don't think it's a big deal that the expansionist Islamist state who invented terrorist suicide bombing has the ability to wipe out cities. It's only fair...
