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Iran ready for high-level talks, US resists

by Jerome a Paris Fri Apr 7th, 2006 at 09:01:35 AM EST

A self explanatory headline from the Financial Times, with a similarly depressing article:

Iran has prepared a high-level delegation to hold wide-ranging talks with the US, but the Bush administration is resisting the agenda suggested by Tehran despite pressure from European allies to engage the Islamic republic, Iranian politicians have told the Financial Times.

(...)

Iran’s willingness to engage the US on Iraq, regional security and the nuclear issue, is believed to have the approval of the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. It represents the most serious attempt by the Islamic republic to reach out to the US since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

(...)

“Pressure and threats do not resolve problems. Finding solutions requires political will and a readiness to engage in serious negotiations. Iran is ready. We hope the rest of the world will join us,” [Javad Zarif, the Iranian ambassador to the United Nations] said.

(...)

Meanwhile, the US rhetoric is sounding tougher by the week. Nicholas Burns, under secretary of state, yesterday accused Iran of being “expansionist”, “a central banker of terrorism” and directing attacks on US citizens.

Apart from the erroneous claim that this is the first major attempt since 1979 (we've discussed the 2003 attempt not long ago), this article seems to show conclusively that the Iranians really want to hold serious talks with the Americans, that the Europeans are fully supportive of these efforts, and that the Americans are not only reluctant, but actively resisting such efforts (calling Iran "expansionist" pretty much takes the cake for bad faith and projection...).

It's time for all sane governments of the planet to call the American administration on its insane warmongering policies.


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It's time for all sane governments of the planet to call the American administration on its insane warmongering policies.

US warmongering is not insane, it is perfectly rational for a country where militarism is the only growth manufacturing sector. Making munitions and blowing them up is a well-known way to promote economic activity.

If you don't like this approach I suggest you all immediately go out and buy a US-made Ford or GM vehicle. (And tell Airbus to lay off, also). (wink!)

My favorite graphic about the federal budget:
http://www.warresisters.org/piechart.htm

Several recent books by former pentagon insiders have pointed out the problems, but none of the critics has been able to offer a course of action to change the current trends. One of the best of the bunch is the most recent book by Chalmers Johnson.

Policies not Politics
---- Daily Landscape

by rdf (robert.feinman@gmail.com) on Fri Apr 7th, 2006 at 09:20:50 AM EST
I saw Sorrows of Empire? on the shelf at my local bookstore, I was going to buy it, but now it is gone...

Any more info on his stuff? Should I be ordering one of his books?

by Metatone (metatone [a|t] gmail (dot) com) on Fri Apr 7th, 2006 at 09:34:28 AM EST
[ Parent ]
How can you believe this pinko propaganda? Not to speak of the outlandish claims about 2003! </snark>

A society committed to the notion that government is always bad will have bad government. And it doesn't have to be that way. — Paul Krugman
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Apr 7th, 2006 at 09:29:50 AM EST

this pinko propaganda

Are you referring to the color of the Financial Times's paper edition?

In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes

by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Fri Apr 7th, 2006 at 09:56:37 AM EST
[ Parent ]
No, I am just trying to get another Prescient Snark Award™.

A society committed to the notion that government is always bad will have bad government. And it doesn't have to be that way. — Paul Krugman
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Apr 7th, 2006 at 10:12:56 AM EST
[ Parent ]
I think Helen perhaps has you beat this time.

Her comment:

And these sane governments would be.... ???
by Metatone (metatone [a|t] gmail (dot) com) on Fri Apr 7th, 2006 at 10:20:48 AM EST
[ Parent ]
It's time for all sane governments of the planet to call the American administration on its insane warmongering policies.

And these sane governments would be.... ???

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Fri Apr 7th, 2006 at 10:17:45 AM EST
Errr....

Errr....

Liechtenstein ?
by Francois in Paris on Fri Apr 7th, 2006 at 11:38:00 AM EST
[ Parent ]
whichever one does a lot of biz with Iran? yet another definition for "sane" ;-)
by Fete des fous on Fri Apr 7th, 2006 at 01:33:01 PM EST
[ Parent ]
My immediate reaction to this was "So why doesn't Europe handle this particular hot potato?" And then, looking in the article, I find:

The Bush administration is resisting pressure from its European allies to engage Iran directly over its alleged nuclear weapons programme rather than leave negotiations to the EU3 of France, Germany and the UK.

Iran's sending someone to the U.S. to talk about something or the other is great. But it's sort of like North Korea demanding to talk to the U.S.: Everybody complains that the U.S. sticks her nose in where it's not wanted, but then everybody complains when the U.S. tries do hand a problem off to somebody else.

Why doesn't the EU, or the EU-3, or the Arab League negotiate an agreement with Iran?

by asdf on Fri Apr 7th, 2006 at 08:10:12 PM EST
Because the US is the one that has a problem with Iran.

A society committed to the notion that government is always bad will have bad government. And it doesn't have to be that way. — Paul Krugman
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Apr 7th, 2006 at 08:13:26 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Oh, excuse me. I was under the impression that Europe had just spent three years negotiating with Iran about her nuclear program, and that the talks had collapsed due to Iranian intrasigence, and that amid threats from Iran to blow up everybody involved the UN Security Council had issued a unanimous statement condemning Iran's uncooperative negotiating methods.

I guess the English-language press must be misrepresenting things again...

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2111093,00.html

by asdf on Fri Apr 7th, 2006 at 08:23:44 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Sure. If the US declares that they do not intend to attack Iran, then maybe they won't feel that it's the US that Iran needs to negotiate with.

A society committed to the notion that government is always bad will have bad government. And it doesn't have to be that way. — Paul Krugman
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sat Apr 8th, 2006 at 03:48:12 AM EST
[ Parent ]
"In recent months I have grown increasingly concerned that the administration has been giving thought to a heavy dose of air strikes against Iran's nuclear sector without giving enough weight to the possible ramifications of such action," said Wayne White, a former deputy director at the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research. White, who worked in the bureau's Office of Analysis for the Near East and South Asia, left government in early 2005 and is now an adjunct scholar at the Middle East Institute.Forward Magazine, 7APR2006

Reading that this morning and then remembering what Barbara Tuchman asked in the preface to her book "The March of Folly"

A phenomenon noticeable throughout history regardless of place or period is the pursuit by governments of policies contrary to their own interests. Mankind, it seems, makes a poorer performance of government than of almost any other human activity. In this sphere, wisdom, which may be defined as the exercise of judgment acting on experience, common sense and available information, is less operative and more frustrated than it should be. Why do holders of high office so often act contrary to the way reason points and enlightened self-interest suggests? Why does intelligent mental process seem so often not to function? Barbara Tuchman, March of Folly, March 1985

I am afraid that it will be said, as it was just before March 2003 on the eve of the invasion of Iraq, "the train has left the station." This 'March of Folly" of attacking Iran has already gained more momentum than can be stopped by any world leader or all of them put together.

To thine ownself be true. W.S. CANADA

by sybil on Fri Apr 7th, 2006 at 11:26:17 PM EST


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