So Obama said that he’s interesting in talking to Iran…
U.S. President-elect Barack Obama said on Sunday that the West must engage in “tough but direct diplomacy” with Iran, but emphasized that Tehran’s vocalized threats against Israel stand “contrary to everything” the United States believes in. He also said that he was prepared to offer Iran economic incentives to stop its nuclear program, but warned that sanctions could be toughened if it refused.
… but the Iranians say they’re not interested in talking to Obama:
Iran has rejected a suggestion by US President-elect Barack Obama that a carrot and stick policy of economic incentives and additional sanctions might persuade the Iranian government to change its behavior. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Hasan Qashqavi, said Monday that Obama’s proposed policy was unacceptable and had failed in the past. Qashqavi reiterated Iran’s refusal to suspend enrichment Monday and said the US must recognize Iran’s “nuclear right” before the country would dispel concerns about its program.
Which is really weird because just a few weeks ago they were saying that they’re not interested in talking to Obama. So it’s surprising to hear them say that they’re not interested in talking to Obama.
And Qashqavi’s right that the status quo with Iran has always been the Obama-style carrot-and-stick approach. Or – as IAEA chief ElBaradei just called it – the “failed” carrot-and-stick approach:
The chief of the world’s nuclear weapons watchdog organization considers five years of U.S. and international efforts to rein in Iran’s nuclear ambitions a failure, as Tehran moves ever closer to obtaining the means to develop weapons of mass destruction… Yet Iran continues acquiring nuclear technology and stockpiling sensitive material. “We haven’t really moved one inch toward addressing the issues,” said Mohamed ElBaradei, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA. “I think so far the policy has been a failure.”
ElBaradei of course thinks that this is a reason to drop the stick and switch exclusively to carrots. He would. But at least Obama went out of his way to promise to safeguard Israeli interests. Sure that won’t actually prevent the genocidal mullocracy from getting nukes. But it’ll give foreign policy gurus the excuse they’re looking for to spin an Israeli strike as “needlessly lashing out.”
Bush is running out of time on his recent pledge to deny Iran nukes. Which is what Christopher Hitchens told him would happen all the way back in February. Which makes Hitch’s support for Obama somewhat… quixotic.
References:
* Obama: We must talk to Iran, but threats against Israel unacceptable [Ha'aretz]
* Iran rejects Obama’s carrot/stick policy [JPost]
* Iran Rejects Talks With Obama, Foreign Policy Sophisticates Confused [MR]
* Head of nuclear watchdog calls efforts against Iran ‘a failure’ [LAT]
* Israeli official: ElBaradei’s comments on Iran are irrelevant [JPost]
* IAEA Aiding Covert Syrian Nuke Program By Building Overt Syrian Nuke Program [MR]
* Brzezinski: Israeli Campaign Against Iran Will Detonate US-Israel Relations [MR]
* Bush vows to deny Iran nuclear weapons [UPI]
* Mr. President, Don’t Forget Iran [Hitchens / WSJ]
Previously:
* New Iranian Reactor Online Within Months (Plus: This Week’s List Of Useless Sanctions And Talks)
* Obama Foreign Policy Team Pretty Much The Last People On Earth Who Think Engaging Iran Will Work
* Israel Gearing Up For Unilateral Strike On Iran?
