Posted on 02/03/2005 9:01:23 PM PST by Johannesson
If you remember, John Kerry was interested in supplying uranium to Iran in exchange for guarantees that none of the material would be diverted for clandestine purposes and that all of it would be returned to the US when spent. I suspect this sounded like a great idea to the left at the time.
As it turns out, Iran has recently broken the pledge made to the EU3 (Britain, France and Germany) in regards to suspending all uranium enrichment activity. Ahead of the resumption of negotiations between Europe and Iran, slated to begin on Monday, Iran has indicated that they have begun 'controlled maintenance of non essential components' within their enrichment program. Certainly it would not take fool to know that all components within the enrichment cycle are critical, down to the smallest nut and bolt. Iran is increasing the pressure on the Europeans, lobbying for a stronger negotiating position. Eager to avoid conflict, Europe is seeming weak right now – not all together that different from 1938.
Unfortunately for Europe, they are receiving the same treatment from the US. Condoleezza Rice just announced that the US has no intentions of getting further involved with European appeasement efforts towards the Iranians. In response to reporters' questions about US engagement, Dr. Rice said: "It's not the absence of anybody's involvement that is keeping the Iranians from knowing what they need to do." Well put!
Schroeder announced last week that under no circumstances would he allow the situation to deteriorate from a diplomatic
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What was Colin Powell's greatest contribution or achievement of his tenure as Secretary of State?
Dang, Madam Doctor Secretary is making a spectacular maiden voyage around Europe so far.
Condi's trip is not a pleasure trip to meet and greet. She is there to discuss business and I can assure you that Iran is on the top of the agenda. We aren't playing in the sandbox any more! This is serious!
Just dust off Carter's playbook re North Korea ...and do the opposite.
One of the things she needs to get straight with the rest of the Europeans is that she is neither a pushover nor a mouthpiece, but a person of conviction. Implicit in her remarks is the stunning and rather obvious conclusion the Administration has drawn that the Persians have played the EU3 for suckers. She is saying that in no uncertain terms will the United States join a sucker's game.
Be Seeing You,
Chris
He didn't slam his whang in a desk drawer?
she is absolutely wonderful! We are truly blessed to have her as the new Secretary!
"Schroeder announced last week that under no circumstances would he allow the situation to deteriorate from a diplomatic effort to a military one."
lol, that's a fairly dumb statemet. Under no circumstance? What if Iran attacks another country or develops nuclear weapons and starts selling them to everybody in sight? We certainly need to open communication with Iranian leadership if they take some real steps towards peace as well (even Reagan, who called Soviet Union an evil empire, didn't shy from embracing Gorbachev and getting him to introduce perestroika (capitalism) and glasnost (freedom of speech) into soviet society), but they have to understand that we can't allow the country who is number one supporter of terrorist in the world to have nuclear weapons right now, period, and Europeans need to understand that as well.
According to the media we got spies and special operation teams in Iran right now that are trying to pinpoint their nuclear research facilities, we should make it clear that if Iran is not willing to compromize we will destroy them. We can do that without invading Iran, and how the hell are they going to retaliate? Launch some rockets at our troops in Iraq? We have complete air superiority, we can decimate their artillery and troops if they ever try to move into Iraq without using any ground troops at all.
At this point is clear that we don't have any military resources for another invasion/nation building, but we do have enough resources for a military objective (as in kicking their ass)
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