from LobeLog: News and Views Relevant to U.S.-Iran relations for September 10th, 2010:
The Washington Post: The Post’s editorial board writes that while sanctions have constricted the Iranian economy, the White House “has yet to produce tangible results†in bringing Iran into compliance with the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The editorial cites the new International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report which says that there has been no change in Iran’s accumulation of low-enriched uranium. If Iran is diverting weapon-grade uranium to a secret facility, then “economic sanctions are unlikely to prevent it,†warns the Post.
The National: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton defended the U.S.’s encouragement of democratic forces in Iran, saying that support from Washington does not undermine or endanger them. Clinton told a group of policy experts that Iran was becoming a “military dictatorship.†“There is a very… sad confluence of events occurring inside Iran that I think eventually — but I can’t put a time frame on it — the Iranian people themselves will respond to,†Clinton reportedly told an audience at the Council on Foreign Relations earlier this week.
The National: Jason Shams complains of a “lack of understanding that persists about Iran†in Washington, noting the absence of a U.S. embassy in Tehran that forces reliance on severely limited sources of information. The result is a U.S. policy on Iran that has been “a total blunderâ€: “The drums of war in Washington have helped the Iranian government crush the civil rights movement; the U.S. hawkish policies are used by hardliners in Iran to rally political forces to their cause.†Shams adds that sanctions have allowed the elite Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) to consolidate its power over industry. “With its ineffective policies, the U.S. government has been the main obstacle for moderates in the Middle East,†he writes. He concludes that U.S. diplomats on the ground, in a U.S. interests section that mirrors the Iranian office in Washington, would gain a granular knowledge of both street level and elite politics and Iran.
Foreign Policy: William Tobey, who served in the National Nuclear Security Administration under George W. Bush, writes on FP’s Shadow Government blog that the latest IAEA report exemplifies Iran’s unwillingness to cooperate with the international community and highlights the failure of sanctions to make any meaningful headway in slowing Iran’s nuclear program. Tobey argues that sanctions targeting the IRGC and others seen as responsible for the nuclear program are counter-intuitive because such elite groups are well insulated from sanctions and are “committed militants.†The solution, he suggests, is to expand sanctions to broaden the portion of Iranian society which will “feel the costs†of the nuclear program. “As Iran marches towards nuclear capability, further delay will only narrow our options to a choice between the unacceptable and the unthinkable,†he concludes.
Foreign Policy: Our IPS colleague Omid Memarian interviews Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani, the daughter of Iran’s powerful opposition figure Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. She speaks of a hopelessness in Iranian politics and, asked about a potential meeting between Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Barack Obama, she says, “I don’t think anyone is waiting for any positive change in Iran’s internal or foreign politics or putting too much hope on it.†She says Iran’s leaders need a “wake-up call†and, in her next thought, positively cites the Iraqi experience: “Didn’t the people of Iraq join with foreigners who attacked their country in order to free themselves from injustice and to save themselves and their country? Was this their initial demand, or did their deteriorating conditions lead them to this? It won’t be a bad idea to review history from time to time.â€
The change has to start at the top! Our President and his Secretary of State need to stop parroting all the Israeli talking points about Iran. They need to very loudly and publicly tell Israel to stop rattling the saber towards Iran. Our President needs to cancel the Bush programs to destabilize the Iranian Government. He needs to pull all Special Ops troops out of Iran. He needs to ask Iran to allow a Special Interests section in Tehran. He needs to cancel most of the ridiculous sanctions against Iran. He should allow Iran Air to fly to the US.. He should have fired Rahm Emanuel and Dennis Ross long ago because of their deliberate obstructionism and moving the goal posts in any negotiations with Iran. Have a group of US airline executives do any negotiations with Iran. They seem more adept at this than all of the idiots at State. Most people don't seem to know that US commercial jets over fly Iran on a daily basis.
Your post makes way too much sense, which is why it will never happen. A major upheaval is going to happen before Israel's stooges in America are disregarded. I see actual fighting on the streets of the country before that ever happens.
Gee , I guess we can't be too critical of Iran around here eh?
And you know those Iranians , lol…if any airline refers to the Persian Gulf as the 'Arabian Gulf " ….they get banned from being permitted to flyover Iran [which btw , money chrges apply ] .
But forget all t5hat , we can "negotiate " WHEN Iran finally produces it's first nuclear weapon ….and then threatens to use it . Yea that'd be the right time .
Hey Admin . why dont you just lock the thread , unless of course you get posts in favor of YOUR views .
No matter how you play out all the scenarios and the best game theories, the optimum solution is for trust building and diplomacy to prevail. How momentous would a picture of the Iranian leadership meeting in Jerusalem with the Israelis, Americans and others be ? A date, timeframe, agenda, site, design, budget and guest list are ready to be implemented. With all great events however sometimes it is necessary for the waves to part before venturing forth. Maturity is called for on all sides. This is the year 2010. We are meant to be going somewhere. Together !
Great thought Adam …..now if you could only get the theocracy , which is really calling the shots in Iran , [not Amahdinejab ] to start thinking that way . America is a seperate issue , Israel quite another as far as Iran is concerned . In view of Iran's present policy towards israel , which is being made quite clear , and on an almost daily basis , that "momentous event ' while commendable on your part ,…..is an impossibility without an epiphany of thought on the part of the Iranian Theocracy .
Here's another "talking point " …and forget about ridiculous and facetious comparisons to Guantanimo , the Iranians are in the habit of taking hostages , such as the Three Americans , who EVERYONE on the planet KNOWS are NOT spies . Toying with the emotions of their parents , and most likely seeking a political or ideological RANSOM . How far could they have ventured onto Iranian territory ? What definable border markings did they crossover ? And why did the Iranian Military , instead of simply warning them off , KIDNAP them ?
You think you will reason with a regime like the Iranian theocracy ? Think again .
…and in the spirit of "true islamic mercy " the one sick woman , may be released , ….with a $500,000 "bail " [RANSOM ] . Gee how kind of them , how civilised …..feel the love !
Yes… and?
You suddenly voluntary for doing a one-man decapitation strike on the whole Mullah Hierarchy or something?
Or is it just yet another call for cruise missile liberalism?
No , but I wont sit here and make excuses for Iran . Nor do I consider Iran , in any small or large way , to be the injured party . Do you ?
And if you're buying their line on nukes , then you're a sucker . As for those cruise missles ? Don't think so , if anyone wacks the Iranians it'll be the Israelis , since they are the object of Irans threats .
So sit back and wait for the fireworks , which btw will most likely not be cruise missles .
And p.s. even Fidel Castro , in recent interview with Atlantic , criticized Ahmadinejab and the Iranian regime for [in his own words] their "theological anti-semitism " , denying the holocaust . and he didn't blame Israel for defending itself ….he fears a world war instigated by Iran .
America bombed Hiroshima & Nagasaki using atomic/nuclear bombs causing thousands to die, sprayed agent orange in vietnam, causing thousands to suffer until this day and colonised other countries in other parts of the world. Iran has done none of these evils to this day. America is shouting about the lack of democracy/freedom in Iran, but it had previously supported the brutal Shah regime without any remorse. America is complaining about Iran civil nuclear power, but keep itself dumbed as a donkey about nuclear arsenals in Tel Aviv. It will take America a thousand years to convince me of its credibility.
Hey procivil , I can agree with agent orange , I was there , as far as Nagasaki and Hiroshima ? GET OVER IT ! By 1939 the Japanese already slaughtered 10 million Chinese and by Wars end another 5 million Philippinos , Southeast Asians and Pacific Islanders , and vowed to arm every man woman and child who would fight to the death for their "god " Emperor , if Japan was to be invaded . The two bombs were small change in lieu of an invasion . Irans "civil nuclear " program went beypond civil as soon as 20 % enrichment of uranium was surpassed , so smartern up .As far as barbarity ? Iran sent their children to clear minefields in the Iran /Iraq war , and ask the Kurds what they think of the 'civility " of Iran . Besides ,you may not have any confidence in the credulity of America , but that doesn't mean you have to put your brain up on the shelf .
"Iran sent their children to clear minefields in the Iran /Iraq war"
On the other hand, the US delivered mustard gas to kill of the remainders.
And stop with the US whining about how enormously the invasion of Japan would have cost. The waaahamabulance will come otherwise. And linking Japanese slaughter of Chinese to nuclear obliteration of civilian targets is an audacious move, to say the least.
Also notice that the US killed about 1×10ⶠPhilippinos in the "independence wars" .
btw ….EVEREYONE knows Israel has atleast , some 100 nukes ……….including Iran .
R/T, Israel has some 100 nukes (fyi, internationally, the country is known to have more than that), and as usual, the only use of nuclear weapon is to commit massive murder. For your information, I havent got over the killings of thousands of civilians in Hiroshima & Nagasaki, and the same goes with the killings of civilians in Afghanistan, Iraq, World Trade Centre, Iran and elsewhere. My country was once colonised by the West, then by the Japanese. All colonialist are the same, they killed my fellow countrymen. And because of that my father became an independant fighter. And about Iran, you are so mad about the possibility of Iran passing 20% enrichment (which is not yeat happening, and anything below that is allowed under IAEA), and dont care about Israel's over 100 nuclear warheads meant to kill others. I am just a procivil person
Well , if you're "just procivil " then surely you must be 'pro-survival " .You must be Indonesian …"colonised by the Dutch, then the Japanese " I guess you had a hard time defining your enemy [that is your father did ] , a fact not lost on the Japanese who were barbarians but not stupid .. I have heard the argument before and precisely from Indonesians . All war is barbaric even way back when the only participants in actual combat were the combatants themselves .BTW enrichment beyond 20% is most definitely the goal , scientifically confirmed and publicly stated by the Iranians . And perhaps with 20/20 hindsight , you could provided a better strategy for the defeat of the Japanese . BTW , I am not "mad " about Iran , but simply a realist , and I'm simply being objective about the inevitable consequences of Irans present path . WHICH FYI will no doubt be war with Israel and that means KILLING of civilians which is unavoidable in ANY war .
Suggested reading : Thomas Jefferson and the Barbary Pirates .
R/T,
THE PROBLEM IS iSRAEL.. Racist, land stealing Israel. Amer ica is now at war with Islam – in the form of Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, and Iran. All for the sake of those insane, nuculear bomb rattling, perpetually hostile, covetous, deceitful Israelis. Can it be put any simpler or more honestly?
Pro-civil , you should not be responding to ANYONE , unless you are going to present FACTS . And the FACT IS, that the IAEA has already stated most recently , that given Iran's unwillingness to be open and allow inspectors in it's nuclear sites , the IAEA cannot confirm whether Iraqn's intentions are peacefull or not . The UN is highly critical of Iran for not allowing IT'S INSPECTORS on the nuclear sites …so WHAT are you talking about ?? What good is it or what does it prove , if Iran is a signatory to the NPT , but unwilling to abide any rules regarding NPT ???
You are willing to take iran on it's word ? You're a bigger sucker than I thought ! But Science has no agenda , and the amount and type of equiptment Iran has purchased indicates that Iran has already SURPASSED 18% enrichment , Iran denies this , yet refuses to allow any inspectors in it's facilities .
And pro-civil , I guess I hit the bullseye , in that you are Indonesian . This taints with predisposed bias , any argument you may raise , regarding the Japanese and WW2 . I would imagine you would have trouble defining WHO the real enemy was in WW 2 , as your country did in fact supply soldiers to aide the Japanese in WW2 .And you so easily skip by the 15 million or so people the Japanese killed , most of which were civilians ….and UNARMED . But you will focus on the two bombs that ended their barnbarian reign of terror . This is typical of a deluded man such as yourself . As Far as Iraq goes , I would agree in part , not ONE SINGLE AMERICAN LIFE , should have been sacrificed after Saddam was beaten back after his invasion of Kuwait . But we are not discussing WW , the Japanese , or Iraq , we are discussing Iran , it's nuclear policy , it's stated goals , and the reality of it's intentions regarding the production of weapons grade plutonium / uranium , and the ultimate consequences for the region , which if you are as 'pro-civil " as you claim , will undoubtably result in many civilian casualties .
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