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I have grave concern, the sabotage of the nuclear agreement between P5+1 by France will have closed the small window of opportunity. The confidence build-up by President Rouhani has evaporated and accusations of who is to blame is doing the ultimate damage. Months of negotiations led to no deal when France FM Fabius flew into Geneva with orders from Hollande. With the threat of a French veto at the United Nations, all Kerry could do was to bow out and tell the lie of a united Western front to safe face. The Iranians are furous and Russian FM Lavrov tries to stay calm, hoping for another chance on November 20. IMO, no deal will be reached and the right-wingers will succeed to apply more sanctions on Iran.
Iran blames Western powers for nuclear talks failure
(BBC News) – During a visit to Abu Dhabi, Mr Kerry told reporters that the P5+1 had been “unified on Saturday when we presented our proposal to the Iranians”.
“The French signed off on it, we signed off on it, and everybody agreed it was a fair proposal,” he added. “Iran couldn’t take it at that particular moment.”
Later, Mr Zarif responded to the claim on Twitter.
“No amount of spinning can change what happened within 5+1 in Geneva from 6pm Thursday to 5:45pm Saturday. But it can further erode confidence.”
○ NYTimes Lede Blog Iran’s Foreign Minister Subtweets Kerry
○ France L’Express La France accusée de “hold-up” sur le nucléaire iranien
○ RFE/RL Iran’s Foreign Minister Criticizes Kerry Over Geneva Remarks—————————————-
Iranian press reaction
—————————————-Ali Bigdeli in reformist daily Sharq: “The additional pressure exerted by some Arab countries as well as Israel on the US and France is believed to be the main reason for the postponement of an agreement… Kerry and Fabius came to an arrangement based on which the French foreign minister took the role of the objector.”
Abbas Hajinajjari in conservative daily Javan: “Given the hegemonic system’s intention to prolong the talks in order to exhaust the Iranians and implement the scenario of making [Iran] surrender, it seems that the Iranian diplomatic apparatus should take the leading role in the next round of talks by changing the way the talks are conducted and presenting its conditions.”
Below the fold: French derailing of Iran deal, scoring points with Israel, selling guns to Saudis …
French derailing of Iran deal: Scoring points with Israel, selling guns to Saudis
(RT) – As we know, the French like to go their own way – sometimes they tack to the right, sometimes they tack to the left. They were opposed to the US invading Iraq but they appeared to be a little bit to the right of the United States and the other members of the P5+1 on this issue. Then there is a fact that Francois Holland, the French president, is going to Israel this week; he’ll score some points there, he is a new hero of the neo-conservatives in this country now. And then France has a very important relationship with the Gulf Arabs, especially with the Saudis, and wants to sell more weapons.
… John Kerry is generally quite diplomatic and he wants a deal. And if it is France that is in the way, he is not going out to publically criticize the French; he is going to work behind the scenes to try to convince them to sign on.
Kerry: World powers agree to nuclear deal, but Iran ‘walked away’
Israel boosts attack on Iran nuclear deal after ‘productive’ Geneva talks
(RT) – As delegations from Iran and six leading nations were locked in negotiations in Geneva, the government of Israeli PM Netanyahu was continuing to advocate against dealing with Tehran. Over the weekend, Netanyahu called British PM David Cameron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel to promote Tel Aviv’s position, he told his Cabinet on Sunday.
“I told them that according to the information reaching Israel, the deal that appears to be in the offing is bad and dangerous,” Netanyahu said. “Not just for us but also for them. I suggested that they wait and give it serious consideration, and it’s good that that is indeed what was decided. We will do everything we can to convince the leaders not to reach a bad agreement.”
“I asked them what was the rush? I suggested they wait,” he said in remarks relayed by his office.
Netanyahu added that he spoke on the phone to French President Francois Hollande on the Iranian talks. France took the lead in stalling negotiations with Iran this weekend, and the French leader is to visit Israel next Sunday.
Netanyahu himself is to visit Moscow on November 20 just as talks are to resume in Geneva.
Israel will also be able to voice its objections to a delegation of senior US officials, led by Wendy Sherman, the U.S. Undersecretary of State for political affairs, which is due to arrive in Jerusalem on Sunday. The officials are to update Netanyahu’s government on the developments in Geneva.
In addition to lobbying President Obama’s administration, Israel is planning a lobbying campaign aimed at the US Congress, Israeli Economy Minister Naftali Bennett.
- See previous diaries:
○ Foreign Ministers Don’t Fly In To Be Embarrassed by kafkananda
○ Obama On Path Towards Grand-Slam In Diplomacy
Curious about Fabius’s foreign policy credentials and whether he cows Hollande with his ancient experience. Do you have a view?
I just found Fabius as prime minister ordered the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior in 1985:
Relic from the most corrupt period of the party’s history.
This is very distressing, but it’s happened so fast I can’t believe the story is anywhere near over.
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FM Laurent Fabius does have Jewish roots, but French foreign policy is dictated by president Hollande. As prime minister, the blood transfusion scandal took place under his watch.
Some useful comments @Tikun Olam …
○ House Passes AIPAC “Strangle Iran” Sanctions 400-20 (July 2013)
Wasn’t even thinking of Jewish angle as much as of Saudi Arabia. I need to read Tikun Olam more regularly. I am sad if Hollande is even more bound to idées reçues than Obama but I suppose that’s just my stupidity. Sigh.
The truth not likely to be known for a long time, if ever.
Every g/d thing has to be turned into some sort of secret mission or hush-hush mystery. Then those on the outside that raise questions are labeled kooks, conspiracy nuts, etc.
Report on the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre still not released — why? Should have been done within three months. Still nothing on the killing of Todashev and a blackout on Tsarnaev? Why? Barnaby Jack cause of death — nothing. No accident report on Michael Hastings — once the autopsy report was released and said alcohol and drugs not involved, everybody said, “Okay then. Case closed.” Etc.
ABCNews – Oct 19, 2013
An aside:
The story:
It seems a lot of people can be called on to step up and stop this deal from happening. But the deal will still go through, in my current opinion. The dynamics at play are much broader than the media would inform us. Remember, Obama has said his intention was to ‘change the mindset’ that drives us to war. A very critical, perhaps the most critical, component of the war mindset is the propaganda that fuels it. This has always been the area where the Zionist hasbara has dwarfed other efforts.
The vast inner life that is the Jewish experience becomes a powerful weapon when used to manipulate the less endowed frayers. The father of public relations and the author of one of the first books describing the art, accurately titled Propaganda (1928), was a double nephew of Freud, Edward Bernays.
This propaganda cartel is what needs to be broken and what we are seeing is a significant outing of the ‘nightflower’…….
The talk in the media is only the very surface of the much deeper currents moving below. Kerry’s interview was a direct slap at Netanyahu, of which many, many people will say ‘it’s about time!’. Was that just kabuki? After squelching the Syria bombing? No. Something real is afoot and there will be much said in the media that signifies little.
Another chance to assess American reactions:
Thursday, November 14, Max Blumenthal, author of Goliath, will talk at University of Denver, Denver CO, from Noon to 2:00 PM. Check web for details.
This game has many fields to play out upon. Just up at moonofalabama.org, Syria: U.S. Starts Seeing The Real Alternatives a report on a weekend ‘puppet show’ in Istanbul, trying to find the magic key to making the SNC a real opposition…….
My bold above.
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Hi, I don’t know why they all are afread about the Iranian nuclear program. The same countries that oppose to this, use it for producing electricity and “making nucliaire weapons”, it’s not equitable. all countries have the right to use this technology to produce energy.
—
Sherman
Shingeki no Kyojin 51
I just was wandering the web and started to pull some interesting stuff about the international medical (and other uses) isotope business. It seems Canada has a large chunk (85%) of the business but a big factor in the production is the AGE of the reactor, newer being better. I think Iran would like to position itself as the isotope supplier to the non-aligned countries.
Never a straight line with these people, is there? And the lies continue.
AG
From: Iran and the two Genevas in al-monitor.com…
My editorial bolding above.
With winter coming on, and the supply line crossings into Syria available to the rebels getting progressively closed by the Kurds and Turkey, I don’t see how any amount of small arms are going to change the downward dynamic for the rebels.
I’d say this is the most mature and strong framing that I’ve seen about the ‘breakdown’ this past weekend. When Iran is in its ‘global mind’ consciousness, they eat our lunch, diplomatically speaking. Win-win is trumping the old win-lose paradigm. It’s good to see that Obama, with the backing of significant sections of our government, is actively pursuing this. One more Zionist dreamt up war would be totally ridiculous.
The Peace Train Keeps Rolling Along!
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Excellent analysis!
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As I understand the underlying new proposals, US Congress wants to get rid of the President’s waiver on Iran sanctions in the national security interest of the UNITED STATES. The legislatures want to transgress on the executive’s prerogative on foreign policy. Some to AIPAC linked representatives may prefer a clause “with approval of the PM of Israel.”
○ Kerry warns US lawmakers new Iran sanctions could threaten nuclear talks
Further reading @Tikun Olam – Israel Lobbies Senators to Oppose U.S. Policy on Iran, and
Israel Lobby Smears Kerry as Anti-Israel, Pro-Hamas; Questions His Conduct of Iran Talks.
No doubt that the lobby vs the people showdown in Congress will be epic.
CALL YOUR CONGRESSFOLKS, PEOPLE!
Two hopeful things for me.