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Wobbly Diplomacy
Washington Post ^ | September 11, 2006 | Editorial

Posted on 09/11/2006 7:45:45 AM PDT by Sabramerican

What happened to the support that the Bush administration said it had for sanctions against Iran?

LAST SPRING the Bush administration struck what looked like a clever diplomatic bargain with European governments, Russia and China on addressing Iran. The Islamic regime, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said, would be offered a "clear choice" between a package of economic and political treats -- including the direct dialogue with the United States that Tehran has long craved -- and international sanctions, depending on whether it agreed to suspend its nuclear program. Bush administration officials said they agreed to back the incentive package because Germany, France, Russia and China all pledged that in the event of a negative answer from Iran, they would support sanctions.

Iran's answer is now in: It is unambiguously negative. The administration has consequently turned to its partners and asked for the response they committed themselves to. Their reactions -- at least in public -- have been almost as dismaying as that of the mullahs. "The parties involved should be cautious about moving toward sanctions," said Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, whose country imports almost 12 percent of its oil from Iran. "We cannot support ultimatums that lead everyone to a dead end," said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, whose country is selling Iran hundred of millions of dollars in nuclear materials that might be affected by the proposed sanctions.

French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy, whose country is reluctantly deploying troops to Lebanon within range of the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia, cynically claimed the middle ground: "If the Americans want sanctions, and the Russians and Chinese don't, there will be no sanctions," he said last week. "We must continue more than ever to keep the dialogue with Iran open."

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Germany; Israel; Russia; United Kingdom; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: bush; fools; iran; irannukes; rice; un; unres1696
clever diplomatic bargain

If you believed you were engaging in some clever diplomacy that mere Freepers- who don't play the piano- knew was idiotic from the start, raise your hand.


1 posted on 09/11/2006 7:45:46 AM PDT by Sabramerican
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To: Sabramerican

Can you see it now?

The future movie about Iran and Nukes that former Bush Administration officials will seek to censor.


2 posted on 09/11/2006 7:47:23 AM PDT by Sabramerican (Bush Doctrine- Old: Fight terrorists. New: Cease fire with terrorists.)
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To: Sabramerican

3 posted on 09/11/2006 7:52:21 AM PDT by Mo1 (Think about it .. A Speaker Nancy Pelosi could be 2 seats away from being President)
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To: Sabramerican
Here is what this was about. Perhaps the Always Whining MIGHT actually try to get a grip on reality ONE time instead of continually squealing the same ignorant hysterics.

Really absurd for the Wash Poop to be pouting about Diplomacy. Thanks to the Junk Media's treason over Iraq, where they have been actively propagandizing for the Democrat Party, about 50% of the American people wonder if it is a good idea we are in Iraq. With that level of wobbly public support for the war, there was NO way President Bush could get the political consensus for Military action against Iran from Congress until all the various Diplomatic options had been totally exhausted. We are currently in the process of exhausting all the various Leftist dogmas about "Diplomacy" so they gutless one in Congress will allow us to do what needs to be done with Iran. Unlike the always pouting Freepers, MOST people understand we are a Constitutional Republic, the their fantasy land Presidential Dictatorship.

But of course, speaking truth to whiners is a waste of time. This is NOT about reality, this thread is just todays the excuse for the Freeper Fringers to throw their daily hissy fit.

4 posted on 09/11/2006 7:58:13 AM PDT by MNJohnnie (Say Leftists. How many Nazis did killing Nazis in WW2 create? Samurai? Fascists?)
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To: Sabramerican

Well the Know Nothings strike again. "Whaaa! Why don't you do what I want. Whaaa!".


5 posted on 09/11/2006 7:58:58 AM PDT by MNJohnnie (Say Leftists. How many Nazis did killing Nazis in WW2 create? Samurai? Fascists?)
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To: Sabramerican
The Islamic regime, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said, would be offered a "clear choice" between a package of economic and political treats

I don't like policies based on "buying off" madmen.

6 posted on 09/11/2006 8:06:07 AM PDT by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain and proud of it! Supporting our troops means praying for them to WIN!)
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To: MNJohnnie

I clicked to read the rest of the article and didn't see anything about the Wobblies. I wouldn't expect the Bush team to have anything to do with the IWW anyway.


7 posted on 09/11/2006 8:19:01 AM PDT by Verginius Rufus
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To: MNJohnnie

Could you be any more pathetic?

The major topic for days here has been that the behavior of the Clinton Administration of inaction and vacillating led directly to 9/11.

This Administration's recent actions and hopes- as expressed by one idiotic Rice quote after another- could lead to even greater tragedy.

But the sycophants like you are at the ready, always waiting to defend the indefensible if it comes from this Administration.

Those of us you disparage, are honest, and have a simple test: would we criticize the Administration if the identical policy was being done by Democrats.

Defending everything this Administration does is starting to become a 24/7 job for the boot lickers. There is so much to defend.


8 posted on 09/11/2006 8:22:02 AM PDT by Sabramerican (Bush Doctrine- Old: Fight terrorists. New: Cease fire with terrorists.)
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To: Sabramerican

Class of 99 strikes again. Don't bother them with the facts, they have all ready made up their mind to be perpetually pissed off.


9 posted on 09/11/2006 8:33:15 AM PDT by MNJohnnie (Say Leftists. How many Nazis did killing Nazis in WW2 create? Samurai? Fascists?)
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To: Sabramerican
LOL! Good one.

I'm still smarting at this French brazeness...

"If the Americans want sanctions, and the Russians and Chinese don't, there will be no sanctions," he said last week. "We must continue more than ever to keep the dialogue with Iran open."

This is the only dialogue that will mean a damn to them...


10 posted on 09/11/2006 10:28:06 AM PDT by Paul Ross (We cannot be for lawful ordinances and for an alien conspiracy at one and the same moment.-Cicero)
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To: dennisw; Cachelot; Nix 2; veronica; Catspaw; knighthawk; Alouette; Optimist; weikel; Lent; GregB; ..
If you'd like to be on this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

High Volume. Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking on the Topic or Keyword Israel.

also Keywords 2006israelwar or WOT [War on Terror]

----------------------------

11 posted on 09/11/2006 12:57:23 PM PDT by SJackson (The Pilgrims—Doing the jobs Native Americans wouldn't do!)
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To: Verginius Rufus

They're back, the IWW is trying to unionize Starbucks. Legalize 10 million unskilled workers, there's a vast market out there for the unions. Maybe the IWW can make a comeback.


12 posted on 09/11/2006 1:00:50 PM PDT by SJackson (The Pilgrims—Doing the jobs Native Americans wouldn't do!)
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To: MNJohnnie
We are currently in the process of exhausting all the various Leftist dogmas about "Diplomacy" so they gutless one in Congress will allow us to do what needs to be done with Iran.

Presumably you think Congress will authorize military action Thus the administration has no particular reason to mobilize public opinion. Or Congress. I think you're wrong. Congress isn't going to vote authorization, short of another attack, GWB is going to have to do this all on his own. Reacting to a potential threat based on his former theory of preemption.

13 posted on 09/11/2006 1:04:36 PM PDT by SJackson (The Pilgrims—Doing the jobs Native Americans wouldn't do!)
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To: Sabramerican

To your great disappointed President Bush will not allow Iran to have nuclear weapons, period.


14 posted on 09/11/2006 1:29:22 PM PDT by jveritas (Support The Commander in Chief in Times of War)
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To: MNJohnnie

Here you go. More for you to explain and defend.
.................

Rice Indicates Slight Shift in Stance on Iran Sanctions
By HELENE COOPER
Published: September 12, 2006

PICTOU, Canada, Sept. 11 — Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, in an ever-so-slight softening of America’s stance, on Monday left open the possibility that the United States might suspend efforts to impose sanctions against Iran if it suspended uranium enrichment for two months.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/12/world/middleeast/12diplo.html?ref=world


15 posted on 09/12/2006 5:36:52 AM PDT by Sabramerican (Bush Doctrine- Old: Fight terrorists. New: Cease fire with terrorists.)
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