There is an element of black comedy about American foreign policy in the middle east. All those decades playing off one country against another, keeping the locals weak, the US strong and the oil flowing has finally imploded with the Iraq war. Iran is the victor... they are the regional super power, exactly opposite of American intentions.
The US has never really tried diplomacy with Iran since the Islamic Revolution. President Clinton got up to having athletes visit... but that was it. Iran has learned from North Korea among others. If you want the US to sit down with you, provoke them in the extreme, go on anti-US rants, etc. That gets the USA's attention.
All those years where moderate governments in Tehran were making overtures to the US were just wasted time. When we were in a strong position...we refused to negotiate because we were strong. Now that we are in a weak position, we refuse because we don't want to appear to be giving in when we are weak.
If Bush had wanted a relationship with Iran in 2004, he could have had it. Now Iran has the high cards. Also if we were in any sort of position of strength we could have took more action against Iran for diddling in the Iraq affair, instead we look like fools because the people who started and are steering the Iraq venture are fools.
And let's note that this report was completed last year (2006). These were some of the lies that followed. Really quite a repugnant crowd of humans, these people.
“So I’ve told people that if you’re interested in avoiding World War III, it seems like you ought to be interested in preventing them from have the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon. I take the threat of Iran with a nuclear weapon very seriously.” [Bush, 10/17/07]
“Our country, and the entire international community, cannot stand by as a terror-supporting state fulfills its grandest ambitions. … The Iranian regime needs to know that if it stays on its present course the international community is prepared to impose serious consequences.” [Cheney, 10/21/07]
“The problem is Iran, and Iran has not stepped back from trying to pursue a nuclear weapon, and — or reprocessing and enriching uranium, which would lead to a nuclear weapon.” [White House spokeswoman Dana Perino, 10/26/07]
“We talked about Iran and the desire to work jointly to convince the Iranian regime to give up their nuclear weapons ambitions, for the sake of peace.” [Bush, 11/7/07]
“We’re in a position now, clearly, especially when we look at Iran, where it’s very, very important we succeed in our efforts, our national security efforts, to discourage the Iranians from enriching uranium and producing nuclear weapons.” [Cheney, 11/9/07]
“We are convinced that they are developing nuclear weapons.” [Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman, 11/13/07]
Of course, now that heroic prognosticator and truth-teller Paul Wolfowitz is returning to State, we could shortly find that the Iranians have developed the technology to turn stolen white christian and jewish babies into nerve gas that is being stockpiled in biblical proportions.
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Originally Posted by Wouter Melissen
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