You knew this was coming:
Facing increasing momentum behind a U.S.-backed bid for new sanctions against it, Iran is launching a broad diplomatic offensive aimed at persuading as many U.N. Security Council members as possible to oppose tougher punishment for its nuclear program.
Iran wants to focus on reviving stalled talks about a nuclear fuel swap to build trust on all sides, according to politicians and diplomats in Tehran. But leaders of Western nations say that unless Iran alters its conditions for the deal, they will refuse to discuss it again. Under the arrangement, aimed at breaking an impasse over Iran’s uranium-enrichment efforts, Tehran would exchange the bulk of its low-enriched uranium for more highly enriched fuel for a research reactor that produces medical isotopes.
Mind you, the sanctions at issue are not the sort of crippling ones that might actually influence the mullahs’ nuclear ambitions, but the Iranians’ diplomatic offensive will no doubt spur some more compromises and more watering down of the already thin-gruel sanctions under contemplation. And we can hear the knees already buckling: “Brazil and Turkey already have said they are wary of imposing additional punishment on Tehran. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, visiting Iran on Tuesday, announced that his country is ready to mediate on the uranium swap proposal and other nuclear issues.”
This is the endless loop of “engagement” and the problem with signaling to the Iranians that there is no downside to perpetually stalling. Had we adhered to any previous deadlines or talked up, rather than down, the potential for a U.S. military strike, we might be in a better position. But for now, as Gates noted, we have few options. And the Iranians seem to have endless time.
Interesting read. It’s terrible what fearful extremism can cause.
Unbelievable. Then again, sadly, all too believable. How the hell to we get 1 billion people out of the 7th century?
Unbelieveable, Sefton. Then again, sadly all to believable. How the hell do we get 12 million people out of the 1st century BC? So tribal, paranoid, self-centered, and self-righteous.
G. Oyim,
We got them out. The writers of the Talmud did away with stoning your son if he’s a glutton, killing women if they commit adultery, and punishing people for witchcraft. Since that time, Jews have given the world Nobel Prize winners, great musicians, and subtle philosophers. Israel, the most hated and most endangered country on earth, has Arab members of its cabinet and continues to have free speech and freedom of the press in times of crisis.
They have a perfect right to choose to live in the 1st, 7th or any other century they wish.
They do not have the right to try to violently impose that wish upon us.
How we respond to violence determines whether, as a nation, we choose fight or flight.
Unfortunately for those so inclined, flight is not truly an option in the modern world.
In a world of WMD, implacable religious fanaticism will only accept one outcome; submission.
The only question is… who shall submit to whom?
The Choudhury story is important and immediate. It should be brought to the attention of the press. It should be discussed by the presidential candidates.
Bangladesh never used to be such an extremist country. Perhaps it can be redirected to follow relatively sane policies.
This reminds one a bit of the fate of that Afghan man a few years ago who was sentenced to death for apotasy- he had converted to Christianity. The U.S. did some serious arm twisting and the Afghan judiciary relented. The U.S. must make it clear to Bangladesh that aid will be imperiled if they do something as vile and brutal as this.
Look at how tribal and conceited you guys are.
If Barack Obama changed his name to Baruch Obaumastein and circumcised himself on stage at AIPAC, the radical Jewish lobby still wouldn’t accept him.
My girlfriend is Jewish, but she is estranged from the community because of the group think and chauvinism.
“If Barack Obama changed his name to Baruch Obaumastein and circumcised himself on stage at AIPAC, the radical Jewish lobby still wouldn’t accept him.”
because he would still be as false as his posturing to the centre.
Then again the radical Jewish lobby doesn’t even accept Jews born to Jewish mothers, such as Pappe and co.