dihey, February 11 at 6:41 am #

The Obama administration is quickly showing its depressing inexperience. Only a few days after Vice President Biden threatened Iran with drastic action which can only mean more economic sanctions if not bombing, Secretary Clinton asks the Iran government to “open its clenched fists”. Weird! Did Biden clear his statements with the State Department? If so, why is that Department talking out of both sides of its mouth?
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I would think Ahmadenijad and Biden would actually be muy simpatico with each other.  I mean, both suffer tragically from foot-in-mouth disease.

Blackspeare—well first, 60 years is decades, isn’t it?  And second, it really helps when your allies that put enormous nonproliferation pressure and sanctions on your rivals give you a free pass on your program and provide clandestine technical aid.

Since someone mentioned the “bomb” I would like to ask a rhetorical question:

How is it possible that it is taking decades for other nations to acquire the material, produce a fissionable quantity, package it into a weapon, and then test it, while in less than 60 years, Israel is reported to have more than 200 such weapons and never had a test detonation???  Could this be the world’s greatest hoax?

Both sides need to ratchet down the hysterical rhetoric of the past .... and oh yeah, we only control one side’s rhetoric:  ours.

Although I’ve found the Obama-Clinton rhetoric on Iran far, far too similar to Bush’s during the campaign, let’s see how their actions speak now.  Tone down the rhetoric that says we must act to prevent Iran from exercising the same sovereign rights that we do, and empower the moderates in their elections, not the rally-round-the-flag conservatives who are going to win every time while we’re rattling the saber.

Hmmmm——Iran ready to talk——makes one wonder if they have the “bomb” already!

The Obama administration is quickly showing its depressing inexperience. Only a few days after Vice President Biden threatened Iran with drastic action which can only mean more economic sanctions if not bombing, Secretary Clinton asks the Iran government to “open its clenched fists”. Weird! Did Biden clear his statements with the State Department? If so, why is that Department talking out of both sides of its mouth?

Talking is good…better than threats and ultimata from that pinhead Bush.

While I think Ahmadinejad is an ignorant putz, his rise was DIRECTLY a result of Bungler-Bush’s imbecilic “Axis of Evil” speech while rebuffing Iran’s offers of help in Afghanistan—because they detest Al Qaeda and detest and fear the Taliban (don’t forget—both hate Shi’ites).  Khatami lost because of Bush—clearly.

Talking is at least a start.  Talking means maybe you are not shooting at each other.

Iran is a country the USA has wronged deeply and repeatedly over at least the past half-century. I am amazed at the patience of their leaders who are still willing to open talks with the country that instigated a coup against their legally-elected president, installed a puppet dictator who ruled with an iron fist and torture for a quarter century, and then armed and encouraged Saddam Hussein to attack them, setting off a war that killed a million people.

And the Iranians are still willing to talk with the creepy, criminal regime in Washington!

Just we know how the playing field lies, here is an item that just appeared on the London TIMES (recognizing that it is a Murdoch rag) Web site:
—
Catherine Philp, Diplomatic Correspondent

Iran’s former president was set upon by an angry stick-wielding mob today amid celebrations of the 30th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution on the streets of Tehran.

The attack on Mohammed Khatami came just two days after the reformist cleric announced he would be running against the hardline incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in June’s presidential elections.

Mr Khatami, then a little known cleric, came to global attention when he was elected to the presidency in 1997, capturing almost 70 per cent of the vote. Succeeded in 2005 by Mr Ahmadinejad, he blamed hardline elements in the clerical establishment for obstructing his reformist agenda.

During the revolutionary celebrations, attackers waving sticks approached the cleric, shouting “Death to Khatami. We do not want American government.”

According to Mr Khatami’s Baran Foundation, the attackers were repelled by his own supporters, who chanted, “Khatami, Khatami, we support you.”

Mr Khatami was escorted from the street by his bodyguards who took him to shelter in a nearby building.

Wow, a diplomatic breakthrough with Iran already? Amazing! The thing I don’t quite get is what constitutes equality and respect. It’s not clear whether Obama should meet directly with the Iranian president, since Imadinnerjacket is not really the Iranian head of state, Ayatollah Kamenei is. On the other hand would it be considered respectful equality by Iran if Obama sends Secretary of State Clinton to meet with him?