The reaction to the latest proposal aimed at defusing the row between Iran and the US over Iran’s nuclear intentions has been greeted positively by the Iranians.
Incentives aimed at persuading Iran to halt sensitive atomic research contain “positive steps” and “ambiguities”, its chief nuclear negotiator has said.
Ali Larijani spoke after receiving the proposal, agreed by world powers last week, from the EU foreign policy chief.
(BBC)
According to “western diplomatic sources” the deal includes:
Iran allowed to buy spare parts for civilian aircraft made by US manufacturers Restrictions lifted on the use of US technology in agriculture Provision of light water nuclear reactors and enriched fuel Support for Iranian membership of World Trade Organisation
I assume that some sort of security guarantees must be on the table as well.
Now, can the diplomats on both sides and in the middle prevail over the hardliners? I think the US hardliners are increasingly isolated and might be hard pressed to pull off an attack. Maybe that’s just wishful thinking and maybe the Iranian hardliners will save them from diplomacy.
I wouldn’t necessarily assume security assurances are on the table.
We will have to wait and see.
Yeah. I wonder. It’s either on the table, or it is being held back for the counteroffer.
If they’re not, there is no point.
I would never underestimate the ability of the Bush administration to fuck it up, either purposely or due to incompetence, or both.
One of these days the are going to be so incompetent about intentionally fucking something up that everything will go well.
That’s sad but true.
At least Iran’s doing a good job looking like it’s giving a positive response. That should make it harder to portray them as an out of control regime that has to be taken out NOW. But I don’t know that evaluating and clarifying all the ambiguities they claim to see will run the clock out enough.
We can only hope? Wait, let me think about that.
There is no limit on the Iranians’ ability to bluff, fake-out, deceive or successfully LIE to us and the world.
Let’s face it–these guys invented chess.
Furthermore, their long term strategic plan has to include hegemony in the Gulf region. That includes holding Israel at bay–at a minimum.
No matter what Iran tells the press and western diplomats, as long as Israel has nukes, Iran must get them. Shi’ites in Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and Syria are all maneuvering to help in the effort, politically.
As long as the US is bogged down in Iraq, Iran can say whatever it takes to keep the West at the bargaining table while the superpower bleeds.
What if this “enrichment program” is all a distraction? What is to stop Iran, at some point in the future if not already, from buying a ready-made nuke from N. Korea, Pakistan, China or Russia?
Why would someone sell a nuclear weapon?
For the money?
The only country that I can imagine even considering such a move is North Korea.
People could do it illegally, for the money. Black market nuclear proliferation.
According to both Bush and Kerry in the 2004 debates, it’s the number one threat to our national security.