Remember that time when Obama said that he'd meet with Ahmadinejad without preconditions and then how he tried to throw the statement down the memory hole? And remember how he got CNN to play along and made up some nonsense about appropriate preparation?

Whatever:

The Obama administration and its European allies are preparing proposals that would shift strategy toward Iran by dropping a longstanding American insistence that Tehran rapidly shut down nuclear facilities during the early phases of negotiations over its atomic program, according to officials involved in the discussions. The proposals, exchanged in confidential strategy sessions with European allies, would press Tehran to open up its nuclear program gradually to wide-ranging inspection. But the proposals would also allow Iran to continue enriching uranium for some period during the talks.

Now you might think that this is a bad strategy since it's exactly the kind of thing that's failing spectacularly in North Korea. But from another angle it's a diplomatic masterstroke. Since Iran will never give up enrichment, if you're a breathtakingly naive multilateralist dedicated to engaging Iran at all costs - well, this is the only way that's going to happen:

Iranian presidential candidate Mirhossein Mousavi has ruled out suspending uranium enrichment but would work to verify Iran was not diverting its nuclear programme for weapons, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday. Prime minister during Iran's 1980-88 war with Iraq, Mousavi, 67, is seriously considered by many moderates and even some conservatives as their main presidential candidate and a strong rival to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in June's election. "No one in Iran would accept suspension," he was quoted as telling the paper on its website.

Of course, it's probably worth weakening the US's position and credibility - to say nothing of selling out our allies in the Middle East - just to make sure. Who knows? Maybe he's joking.

References and previously after the jump...