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| Home Front: Politix |
| US Democrats want talks with Iran |
| 2007-06-29 |
| Democratic presidential contenders Bill Richardson and Hillary Clinton said on Wednesday the United States should keep talking to Iran as part of an international diplomatic effort to persuade Tehran to abandon its nuclear weapons program. Richardson, the governor of New Mexico and a former ambassador to the United Nations, said the United States should stop threatening Tehran and begin talks with no preconditions on its nuclear ambitions. “Talking without preconditions does not mean backing off one inch over fundamental objectives, such as ensuring that Iran never acquires nuclear weapons,” Richardson said in a speech to the Center for National Policy. In a separate speech, Clinton said the Bush administration, which has had minimal direct dealings with Iran, seems reluctant to continue engaging Tehran. She faulted the administration for giving Iran “six years of the silent treatment.” “I think we should keep talking,” the New York senator said at the Center for a New American Security, a new think tank. The biggest US challenge on the international front was “restoring our leadership by once again valuing alliances, respecting our values, and understanding that American strength is more than just the show of force,” she said. Iran has defied UN Security Council demands to halt all uranium enrichment activities, which can produce material for a nuclear weapon. The United States says Tehran’s nuclear program is aimed at building bombs, but Tehran says it is designed to produce electricity so it can export more oil and gas. The Bush administration has refused to rule out military options to halt Iran’s nuclear weapon development. “The message to the Iranians must be clear: work with the international community and you will be safe and prosperous. Continue to defy the international community and you will suffer economically and politically damaging international sanctions,” Richardson said. Meanwhile, the United States asked Iran to live up to commitments to bring about a stable Iraq, saying it was critical for resuming a dialogue with Tehran on Iraqi security, the State Department said Wednesday. It was responding to Iraqi requests for such a meeting, first held in May. Tehran has said it was awaiting a US response on resuming the dialogue. “We’ll take a look and see when a meeting is appropriate but it is important for Iran to follow through on its stated desire to have a more stable Iraq and today, their activities remain in distinct contradiction to that stated goal,” State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters. Iran and the United States had their highest-level contact in 27 years on May 28 when US ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker met Iranian ambassador Hassan Kazemi in Baghdad for talks limited to the security situation in Iraq. Although Washington has not set any “hard benchmarks” for resumption of the talks with Iran, “it is one of those decisions where policymakers will take a look, see whether conditions are appropriate for a meeting,” McCormack said. “As I have said, the Iranians really have not followed through so much on what they said they’ll do,” he added. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #14 well, PUSH Pappy PUSH! |
| Posted by: RD 2007-06-29 21:55 |
| #13 Despite $70/bbl oil they have gas rationing, high unemployment, civil unrest, defections of key military leaders and the mullarchy are in the midst of an internal power struggle. Also - rampant drug use in the population, elevation of the Basij over the Revolutionary Guard in internal-security matters (and perhaps even in Iraq), and increased tension between the Revolutionary Guard and the mullahs (who are also fighting among themselves) over political and economic power. But it's not the tipping point. Not yet... |
| Posted by: Pappy 2007-06-29 21:37 |
| #12 Send Madeline Albright. She did such a good job with Kimmie. |
| Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 2007-06-29 11:44 |
| #11 We have Iran on the ropes. Despite $70/bbl oil they have gas rationing, high unemployment, civil unrest, defections of key military leaders and the mullarchy are in the midst of an internal power struggle. I am all for engagement with Iran if, and only if, it somehow exacerbates these internal factors to the point where internally initiated regime change becomes more likely. At best, the Dems don't think this way at all. At worst, they believe Amadinejad's bluffing and want to kow tow as they have to every other anti-American nutbag in my lifetime. |
| Posted by: JAB 2007-06-29 11:16 |
| #10 “The message to the Iranians must be clear: work with the international community and you will be safe and prosperous. Continue to defy the international community and you will suffer economically and politically damaging international sanctions,” Richardson said. Speak softly and carry a limp dick? Is that the policy, Bill? It's worked so well so far. Ask the Europeans... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2007-06-29 09:56 |
| #9 I look for Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Ramsey Clark, Jimmy Carter, Jesse Jackson, and the Reverend Al Sharpton to be pushing to be involved in any talks. Usurping of the Executive branch again? |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2007-06-29 09:28 |
| #8 They know it won't work, they're just saying that to win votes. |
| Posted by: gromky 2007-06-29 08:44 |
| #7 We simply must discuss the terms of our Surrender and the implementation of our Dhimminitude! |
| Posted by: Hairy Ried of Nevada 2007-06-29 08:42 |
| #6 Talk all you want, they love a numbnuts. All the while fastidiously working on their nukes. |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2007-06-29 08:04 |
| #5 Ooh! Ooh! I'll go! And to Cuba, too! And North Korea, and Syria, again - that was nice, and then, maybe Zimbabwe... |
| Posted by: Nancy Pelosi 2007-06-29 06:26 |
| #4 They can send the traitorous Jimmuh - he's been There. Fixed that for ya! ;-) |
| Posted by: gorb 2007-06-29 05:28 |
| #3 US Democrats want talks with Iran The democrats long for someone who speaks their language. There's a special seat in Hell waiting just for him.... Dearest, Barbara, the good news is that it's a superglue-coated toilet seat over a bowl full of hungry AIDS infected pirahna fish. Khomeini and Arafat will be done using it by the time Jimmy arrives. Did I mention how Ahmadinejad's next in line? |
| Posted by: Zenster 2007-06-29 01:21 |
| #2 Yes, please, US Democrats, go to Iran to have talks, and never come back! |
| Posted by: twobyfour 2007-06-29 01:21 |
| #1 They can send the traitorous Jimmuh - he's been In fact, I'm beginning to think he wasn't a hand-wringing, incompetent boob when he was (God forgive us) president. I think he's hated America for most of his life, and everything he did then and afterwards was done on purpose, with malice aforethought, to try to destroy our country. There's a special seat in Hell waiting just for him.... |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2007-06-29 00:12 |