Iran Recognizes US (sort of)
This Washington Post article makes several points. Dealing with the US, at least in the open, has been a Khomeinist no-no. (It’s okay to make backdoor deals, like Iran-Contra for weapons while fighting Iraq, but open contacts with the Great Satan were not kosher, so to speak.) The direct talks are a change. However, if the US and Iran talk one on one, the talks also signal the end of the “European” multi-lateral negotiations. It also means Iran buys more time to slip United Nations (and China and Russia don’t have to decided between veto and abstention, at least in public). And when these talks fail, the anti-American internationalistas will blame the US. Just watch.
According to The Jerusalem Post, Iran has test-fired a new version of one of its longrange missiles. The Shihab 3 is an IRBM (intermediate or theater-range missile).
The Jerusalem Post quoted ”military officials” as saying:
…the test was likely timed to coincide with the Washington summit and with comments made by Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah during celebrations in Beirut marking the 6th anniversary of Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon.
The article said the missile test did not go perfectly– but that’s why hardware gets tested. The Shihab can strike Israeli targets. It can easily reach US forward operating bases in Iraq and Afghanistan. Moreover, it can strike Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, and Turkey. It can hit Russian targets. Etcetera.
The AP reports that “multilateral” talks are continuing in London.
Key grafs:
Among the issues at a meeting in London grouping the five U.N. Security Council nations and Germany was a compromise proposal for possible sanctions against Iran should it refuse to halt uranium enrichment, diplomats said.
The compromise _ which would drop the automatic threat of military action if Iran remains defiant _ is part of a proposed basket of incentives meant to entice Iran to give up the activity, a possible pathway to nuclear arms. It also spells out the penalties if it does not. It is meant to get support both from Russia and China, which fiercely oppose any suggestion of force in pressuring Iran.
France, Britain and Germany discussed the final form of the package Tuesday ahead of submission for hoped-for approval Wednesday at a formal meeting of the five permanent Security Council members and Germany.
Note: the comments still are not working properly. See the post below re:spam filter.
UPDATE: I just discussed this Washington Post article on KLBJ-AM in Austin, Texas. During the discussion with the hosts I pointed out that Iran is pulling an old Cold War tactic. Recall the insistent international pressure on the US to “just negotiate” with the USSR, or “just talk to Cuba” etc? It’s a set up to blame the US for a diplomatic contretemps. Think 1983 Euromissile negotiations. Russia had emplaced over 200 triple-warhead SS-20 missiles. The US (as part of NATO) had emplaced zero. The Russians wanted to keep their missiles in place in Eastern Europe and keep the US missiles out — giving the USSR a huge political win and a potential nuclear ace card. Negotiaitons broke off when the US said it would deploy because the Soviets were insincere about negotiations — and the internationalistas and “unilateral disarmament left” blamed the Reagan Administration. Tut. In 18 months the USSR was back at the negotiating table, after the US started deploying Pershing II and ground launched cruise missiles. The Sovs also had a new leader– Gorbachev. The 1983 contretemps was in many ways the last big political battle of the Cold War.
