Moon of Alabama Brecht quote
January 19, 2012
U.S. Is Not Serious With Iran Negotiations

The proposed new negotiations with Iran about its nuclear program seem to be just a sham. The likely goal behind them is still regime change. The negotion position the U.S. wants to set are unacceptable for Iran. Laura Rozen reports on the “expectations” the U.S. is said to have for these talks:

American non-proliferation officials and diplomats have prepared a so-called “confidence building measure” for Iran to accept as an outcome of the next round of talks. Western governments see Iran’s reception of the measure as a key test of whether further negotiations would be productive–or if Iran is even capable of making a decision.

Two Washington Iran analysts described the draft U.S. confidence building measure to Yahoo News last week, as they understood it from conversations earlier this month with its principal author, State Department non-proliferation expert and Iran sanctions czar Robert Einhorn. Under the proposed measure, which the U.S. has been presenting to its P5+1 partners, Iran would agree to halt enriching uranium to 20 percent, and turn over its existing stockpile of 20 percent enriched uranium. In exchange, western countries would agree not to pass another UN Security Council Resolution sanctioning Iran.

Western diplomats and analysts stress the importance Washington and its allies have placed on Iran’s acceptance of the trust-building measure.

If trues and these “two Washington Iran analysts” are not simply lying this position is ludicrous. There is likely no way the U.S. could get another UN security council resolution on Iran. After its “western” members broke the resolution on Libya neither Russia nor China are in any mood to allow for another conflict.

So the U.S. is telling Iran to hand over its 20% enriched Uranium for what? Continued unilateral sanctions against its oil-exports and more killing of its scientist?

How could any Iranian politician explain such a deal to his people? Iran and its people have endured sanctions for making the 20% Uranium for the production of medicine. No one suggesting to give that up for nothing would have a chance for political survival.

These “conditions” are just an arrogant demand that Iran should surrender. It will of course not do so which will then increase the more and more fashionable demands in Washington for unilateral “regime change” by force.

Comments

“These “conditions” are just an arrogant demand that Iran should surrender. It will of course not do so which will then increase the demands in Washington for unilateral regime change by force.”
Yes b, this is indeed the game, and the sad part of this is that the mostly brain dead American public will buy their BS. After all, the Super Bowl is coming, and the public can’t be bothered with foreign policy or anything else that changes the lust for bread & circus that is modern day America.

Posted by: ben | Jan 19 2012 16:00 utc | 1

Article from truthout Titled “Pressure Israel, not Iran.”
http://www.truth-out.org/pressure-israel-not-iran/1326903920

Posted by: ben | Jan 19 2012 16:10 utc | 2

The proposals are warmed over refuse from Obama’s early “good faith efforts.” Years ago Obama said, “hand over all your enriched uranium and maybe someday you’ll get some back for your TRR medical facility.” Since then, Turkey and Brazil did a deal with Iran whereby Iran would store their uranium in Turkey pending US delivery of its part of the bargain.” But the US rejected what should have been a normal commercial barter transaction.
And now they’re back to the pre-Turkey/Brazil deal.
It’s all pure BS, which everyone can see, except of course for the New York Times and the rest of the Western media.

Posted by: JohnH | Jan 19 2012 16:22 utc | 3

These “conditions” are just an arrogant demand that Iran should surrender. It will of course not do so which will then increase the demands in Washington for unilateral regime change by force.

If Iran met these conditions, it would be regarded as a sign of weakness by “Washington” and the calls for unilateral regime change by force would become even louder.

Posted by: blowback | Jan 19 2012 18:12 utc | 4

The provision of circuses goes on, that of bread is another matter, though. The number of Americans living in poverty and in danger of losing homes, jobs and the wherewithal to sustain the circus atmosphere, is increasing very rapidly.
The key factor in US foreign policy is not that the hypocrisy and violence of the government is going to give rise to mass protests but that the cost is paid directly by a population that is told that it cannot afford education, healthcare, economic stimulus, pensions and anything else except bullying muslims and pork barreling defence contractors.
Sooner or later the penny is going to drop and hundreds of millions of people camped out on the edge of an abyss of poverty, homelessness and beggary are going to want some of the billions going to Israel and Israeli causes, refunded.

Posted by: bevin | Jan 19 2012 18:15 utc | 5

Those two clowns have to be kidding, right?
There is zero chance of “western countries” getting China or Russia to agree to another UNSC resolution strengthening those sanctions.
Those western countries know it.
Iran knows it.
You and I know it.
So this particular offer:
“western countries would agree not to pass another UN Security Council Resolution sanctioning Iran”
is as hollow as a Washington Iran analysts’ head.
So why would Iran agree to give up their uranium in exchange for something that is never going to happen?

Posted by: Johnboy | Jan 19 2012 21:11 utc | 6

“Hey you! Hand me your wallet as a confidence-building meaure, or else I’ll shoot you!” said the mugger.

Posted by: Cyrus | Jan 19 2012 22:11 utc | 7

It’s what ElBaradei described in his book: The US and Britain remote-control the IAEA but refuse to take part in honest and just negotiations. They want regime change to close the chain around China an Russia. There is no prospect of getting the Iranian oil fields undamaged. It is geostrategy and Israel.

Posted by: k_w | Jan 19 2012 22:25 utc | 8

Reminds me of how Bush/Cheney used to “negotiate” with Saddam Hussein.
Two sides of the same bad penny.

Posted by: jawbone | Jan 19 2012 22:38 utc | 9

Surely a better “trust-building” exercise is this:
1) Iran agrees to suspend enrichment to 20%
provided that
2) The West agrees to suspend all sanctions.
This can go on until Iran has run down its existing stockpile of 20% enriched uranium for its research reactor, at which point we move to Step Two of the confidence-building steps:
1) Iran recomences 20% enrichment on a “just-in-time” basis for feeding stock into that research reactor
provided that
2) The West agrees to promptly make up any shortfall caused by “accidents” disrupting that “just-in-time” delivery.
If we get to that point then the problem is solved i.e. nobody can doubt that the 20% production is for that research reactor, and thus there can be no problem with Iran continuing its nuclear program.
The issue for the IAEA becomes the task for which it was always intended: the verification of the non-diversion of nuclear material.

Posted by: Johnboy | Jan 20 2012 0:47 utc | 10

I can’t say how, but I have come into possession of this letter from Supreme Leader Ali Hoseini-Khamanei to President Obama.
Dear President Obama,
Thank you for your recent “confidence-building” proposal. If I were in your position I would want to build confidence also. While you have necessarily backed off of your false campaign charges of an Iran nuclear weapons program, you have persisted on sanctions on a country that hasn’t violated any treaty. We don’t share that advantage, do we.
Back to the point. You want Iran to give up its supply of 20% percent enriched uranium. Do you really expect the Islamic Republic of Iran to take this proposal seriously?
First, Iran’s current supply of 20% enriched uranium is 73 kilograms, or less than 150 pounds, in your measure. This was verified by the most recent IAEA report. They watch us all the time. They measure everything.
A nuclear weapon would require many times this amount of uranium, enriched not to 20% but to 95%, and the IAEA constantly inspects our facilities to ensure that this would not happen, according to the treaty we signed. So — what is the point?
Secondly, Iran previously agreed to a fuel swap for 20% enriched uranium just to please you. Do you recall that, Mr. President? You should, because you canceled the agreement.
Here are the headlines for you:
May 16, 2010
Turkey, Brazil seal deal on Iran nuclear fuel swap
May 17, 2010
Israel fears Iran nuclear deal will delay UN sanctions
May 18, 2010
U.S. outmanoeuvered as Iran signs nuclear deal with Turkey and Brazil
May 18, 2010
Iran’s Nuke Deal Irritates Washington
May 19, 2010
Brazil, Turkey defend nuclear deal with Iran, urge Security Council to give talks more time
Apr 30, 2010
Turkey, Brazil brokering Iran nuclear deal
May 19, 2010
Brazil-Turkey Deal with Iran Undermines Big Power Politics
May 26, 2010
What Did China Get for Backing Iran Sanctions?
June 9, 2010
Security Council Imposes Additional Sanctions on Iran
Aug 30, 2010
Iran atomic chief says fuel swap talks finished
President Obama, your “confidence-building” proposal is, as you say, DOA. Stick it, pal.
Yours truly,
Supreme Leader Ali Hoseini-Khamanei

Posted by: Don Bacon | Jan 20 2012 3:29 utc | 11

Amazing, isn’t it, that these RW pieces of shit trying to ooze their way into the White House continue to paint Obama as caving in to Iran?
This partisan sham, this two party con-job, is becoming laughable. Its getting hard to guffaw with any mirth though, as these criminal maggots run our country into the ground with this charade. One almost wishes to be amused from afar, ashamed to be sharing soil with the likes of the DC elite. God damn these people, they are despicable beyond description.
Whats worse, is the depth of ignorance held by the masses. It is this ignorance that lubricates our leader’s disdain for us and the tenets advanced by the Founding Fathers. Seemingly, we will buy any line of shit that they task their media script writers to feed us. We are little more than patsies and marks, ripe for the plucking, rendered impotent through ignorance by a derelict and bought and paid for Fourth Estate.
Go ahead, talk to your co-workers, friends and acquaintances. If the depth of their ignorance about what we’ve become doesn’t scare the shit out of ya, it should. As such an ignorant populace, we are not much more than lemmings. And the cliff looms ever closer.

Posted by: PissedOffAmerican | Jan 20 2012 3:57 utc | 12

US elite commandos operating near Iran
http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/01/jsotf-gcc/

Posted by: nikon | Jan 20 2012 4:43 utc | 13

@ 13
Oh my god, Danger Room has confirmed with the U.S. Special Operations Command that a new elite commando team is operating in the region. And Spencer Ackerman is now a flack for a U.S. military attempt to scare Iran.
Guess what, Iran is not scared. Iran has a thousand speed boats with cruise missiles that would put a lot of squids in the water if the balloon goes up, elite commando teams notwithstanding.

Posted by: Don Bacon | Jan 20 2012 5:04 utc | 14

If Iran accepted the ‘confidence building measure’, the U.S would next demand that Iran suspend all enrichment activities and relinquish all of its enriched uranium. Only then will the U.S. consider the suspension of sanctions.
The U.S. won’t accept any deal or compromise that includes Iranian enrichment of uranium. That’s the real objective of their policy – no enrichment in Iran.

Posted by: Patrick Cummins | Jan 20 2012 5:42 utc | 15

“Nor’-nor’-western” countries?

Posted by: Bob Jackson | Jan 20 2012 7:40 utc | 16

@ Patrick Cummins
No, the real objective is regime change and control, as it has been since 1954 at least.

Posted by: Don Bacon | Jan 20 2012 13:46 utc | 17

I thought we already had a right wing idiot in the WH,but I heard he can carry a tune,a real American idol.
Hey,look at all the coverage of Dr.Ron Paul,our only hope in changing our trajectory of national suicide, after last nights debate.Not.

Posted by: dahoit | Jan 20 2012 14:27 utc | 18

Major powers to disclose terms for Iran talks

(Reuters) – The major powers seeking to negotiate an end to Iran’s suspected pursuit of nuclear weapons are expected to issue documents on Friday laying out what Tehran would need to do return to talks, a diplomat said.

Why set “conditions for talks” if not to make those impossible?

Posted by: b | Jan 20 2012 17:30 utc | 20

France’s Sarkozy: Military strike on Iran would trigger Middle East war

French President Nicolas Sarkozy warned against any military intervention against Iran over its nuclear program, saying a strike on Iran would “trigger war and chaos in the Middle East.”

Look how he wants to differentiate between “military intervention” and war.
A “strike on Iran” would be a war in the Middle East. It would not trigger one.

Posted by: b | Jan 20 2012 18:09 utc | 21

“A “strike on Iran” would be a war in the Middle East. It would not trigger one.”
I guess “the West” now makes a distinction between
“a strike” (a.k.a. where you give but you don’t receive)
and
“a war” (a.k.a. where the other side – damn them! – insist on shooting back).

Posted by: Johnboy | Jan 20 2012 22:46 utc | 22

hey, even speaking of military intervention is a step forward: Obama wouldn’t admit that bombing Libya would amount to that

Posted by: claudio | Jan 20 2012 23:08 utc | 23