UPDATE: It’s official now. We are in talks about talks. From Ms. Rice herself:
“To underscore our commitment to a diplomatic solution and to enhance prospects for success, as soon as Iran fully and verifiably suspends its enrichment and reprocessing activities, the United States will come to the table,” Rice said in remarks prepared for delivery at the State Department.
In other words, as soon as Iran has a President who reveals himself to be a Venutian. [Wait a minute. That could happen.-ed.] Meanwhile, Ms. Rice continues:
“We hope that in the coming days the Iranian government will thoroughly consider this proposal.”
On a satellite phone with Zarqawi.
ORIGINAL POST: According to this report of an hour ago, the US is in talks about talking with Iran:
The United States is prepared to join other nations in holding direct talks with Iran on its nuclear program in return for concessions from China and Russia, diplomats said Wednesday.But the diplomats, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the information was confidential, said Washington would only do so if Beijing and Moscow agreed to back U.N. Security Council sanctions against Iran if it refuses to give up uranium enrichment.
One of the diplomats told The Associated Press that the Bush administration was planning to make an official announcement later in the day on Washington’s conditional readiness to join in such talks.
You know, I think if anyone asks me about something from now on, I am going to tell them I am “speaking on condition of anonymity.” It certainly sounds cool and, who knows, I might get quoted in the New York Times.
Time to quote Abbas Hakim Zadeh:
Roger:
Iran agrees to susupend development. Talks begin. IAEA verification teams are denied entry into certain locations.The big A calls them Zionist spys. Talks about the verification regime start. Iran kicks out inspectors. The west calls for more negotiations to get the verification negotiations started so that the final negotiations can begin. Democrats blame Bush for unilateral stubborness and call for new multi lateral talks. This goes on for 1 to 3 years. Iran announces they have the bomb.
I don’t know, Kevin. If history is really going to repeat itself, that story would not end with Iran annoucing they have the bomb, but us announcing they have the bomb, them denying it, and us calling them liars. After the subsequent invasion, we discover they don’t have the bomb.
WorldNetDaily proclaims the bomb is in the Bekaa Valley.
From the looks of it, the American conditions are designed to be rejected by Iran outright.
I can see how these negotations will go:
Iran: “Death to America!”
America: “Let’s compromise. How ’bout a slow death to America?”
Schochu John:
Let’s get down to basics. You beleive that Iran is not trying to get the bomb. You believe that Iran only has peaceful intentions with their nuclear program. In short, you think that Iran is telling the truth and the U.N., the IAEA, the E.U. big three are all lying. You trust the man who claims the Holocaust is a myth. You trust the man who thinks the C.I. A and the Jews were behind 9-11. If you don’t beleive what I just wrote then state what you beleive so we can have a serious discussion.
Apropos Kevin Peters’ comment, there was a post yesterday on Counterterrorism Blog linking (once-removed) to a Der Spiegel report that German Neo-Nazis are planning to rally at the World Cup in support of the current government of Iran. That factoid says a lot about who is on what side these days.
Kevin(re Shochu John):
“… state what you beleive so we can have a serious discussion.”
Kevin, you are as likely to have a “serious discussion” with SJ as with PeeWee Herman, the man in the moon, or Ahmedinejad himself.
One of the things that needs to be remembered is that this proposal is not designed to be accepted by the Iranians, it’s designed to prove to the Eurotrash and the Russians that the Persian Fuhrer is more interested in Bomb than Boiling Water with Nuclear Energy.
Rice knows that Dimestore Adolf will reject the proposal, or use delaying tactics. That’s understood. This is a peace offensive designed to put Dinner Jacket on the defensive. Greg Djerejian gave her well deserved props for realizing that we had a losing hand and adjusting accordingly. Look for the Usual Suspects on the Left to be upset with all this. Speaking of which…
Do any of you realize how many people over at Huff n Puff and Yglesias are upset with Rice that she didn’t propose that we surrender unconditionally to the Islamonazis to show our good faith? They see this proposal as some sort of trick so that Chimpy McBushhitler and Cheney McHalliburton can Dupe America Into War to Protect the Zionists.
As an aside, you all should have seen when poor Beinart tried to peddle his “Let’s all go back to Harry Truman, ’cause only Liberals know how to Win the War on Terror” nonsense on Huff n’ Puff. They were all over him like a bunch of Red Guards on a Deviationist during the Cultural Revolution!
He walked out of there with a Big Character Dunce Cap on his head….