U.S. Diplomat to Meet With Iran Negotiator: Talks Will Break Silence Of Nearly 30 Years

Wall Street Journal ^ | 16 July 2008 | JAY SOLOMON

[shrinkermd]

In a bid to jump-start talks to end Iran's nuclear program, the Bush administration is sending the State Department's No. 3 diplomat to Geneva to meet with Tehran's top arms negotiator Saturday, the closest contact between the two countries since the Iranian revolution of 1979.

The White House's decision breaks sharply from Washington's long-held policy of refusing direct contacts with Tehran until it agrees to freeze its nuclear program. It is the latest backtracking from the unilateralist character of the first Bush term, and follows a recent deal with North Korea over its nuclear program.

U.S. officials said President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice decided to alter course because of encouraging signs that Tehran may be preparing to freeze its uranium-enrichment activities as part of broader negotiations with the international community.

In May, the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, plus Germany, offered an economic-incentives package to Tehran in exchange for its freezing its uranium-enrichment work. And the European Union's foreign-policy chief, Javier Solana, is scheduled to meet Saturday in Switzerland with Tehran's chief nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, to hear Iran's response.

...The Iranian response has stoked concerns in both Washington and Jerusalem that Tehran might simply be trying to divide the U.S. and the Europeans while waiting out the rest of President Bush's second term. These officials note that Iran is seeking relief from the growing economic pressure -- caused by the sanctions imposed by the U.S. and the Europeans -- which is stoking inflation and unemployment.

"These mixed signals could simply allow them to run out the clock," said David Wurmser, a former top Middle East adviser to Vice President Dick Cheney. "They figure there might be less pressure under a new administration."

[weegee]

* NOBAMA 2008 *

Visualize World APPEASEMENT

[weegee]

We’ve been talking with “some” people in Iran for quite awhile. We want regime change there and know that the locals do too.

The Iranians as a whole don’t look unfavorably at America.

[70th Division]

I think it is the last TALK before Israel hits them. Then we can say well we warned them.

[Allegra]

It didn’t work then, it won’t work now.

There's only one thing that will work. And it's long overdue.

[Convert from ECUSA]

I firmly believe we should negotiate with the Hamanites........from the business end of a B-2!

[mkjessup]

In the interest of efficiency, we could have found a much better way to ‘retire’ the MX-Peacekeeper ICBMs.

I would have been happy to handle the targeting list.

[mkjessup]

The Iranians as a whole don’t look unfavorably at America.

I got news for ya pal, the mullahs and their assorted handpuppets have had damn near 30 years to eradicate any pro-Western/pro-American sympathies in the Iranian population as a whole.

The locals care about what they're told to care about by Ahmadinnerjacket.

Here's the best way to achieve regime change in Iran:

[rahbert]

exactly. its like that sitdown Michael Corleone had
with Soluzzo and the cop.

I just hope Mr Burns emerges from the can holding more
than his johnson..