Obama: "I'm ready to negotiate with you, Iran." Iran: "Fuck you."

[Undertoad]

http://www.commentarymagazine.com/bl...php/boot/53612

Echoing the refrain of other Iranian officials, (Iranian parliament speaker Ali Larijani) said he would be perfectly happy to negotiate with the United States — as long as the U.S. recognized Iran’s right to go nuclear, discontinued its support for Israel, pulled all of its bases out of the Middle East, and apologized for a litany of historical sins ranging from the atomic bombing of Hiroshima to the U.S. role in overthrowing Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadeq in 1953. He even wanted the U.S. to apologize for actions it didn’t commit, such as “encouraging Saddam Hussein to attack Iran.” This led naturally into an anti-Israel diatribe complete with pictures that Larijani held up depicting Palestinian “victims” of Israeli “atrocities.”

Having recited a long litany of America’s supposed sins, Larijani demanded: “Now with a change in tone and a few media postures, do you honestly expect this pain to go away?” If you overlook his sophistry and his mendacity, he actually raises a good point: Why would anyone in the Obama administration expect that Iran will make substantial concessions to us based on nothing more than the new president’s willingness to negotiate?

[Sundae]

Oooh, get her!
Chip, shoulder, anyone?

[toranokaze]

A hope of change and resolution of this conflict with peaceful means. But this looks like the start of WWIII or VI.

[tw]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

[url]Obama: "I'm ready to negotiate with you, Iran." Iran: "Fuck you."

Meanwhile who is talking and what are they saying in private channels - where actual discussions are conducted without the hyperbole for public consumption.

[Pico and ME]

OK, this Commentary place...are they mostly conservative or something? Because

He even wanted the U.S. to apologize for actions it didn’t commit, such as “encouraging Saddam Hussein to attack Iran.”

just isnt really true, at least depending on who is looking at and writing the history.

[tw]

Meanwhile, because the US is not talking with belligerence, the Iranian Reformers are attempting to regain power. Khatami, the former reform President announced a bid for reelection.

The entire reform movement in Iran was devastated when George Jr all but declared war on Iran with his 'axis of evil' threats. For the Iranian reform movement, it has been downhill since. American threats have encouraged all Iranians to support wacko extremists and more military weapons. Iranians did exactly what any people would do when overtly threatened. Remove those threats and Iran may again embrace reformists.

Current Iranian comments come from those extremists who have the same attitude as Cheney. Can Khatami get reelected?

[lumberjim]

[sugarpop]

Originally Posted by tw

Meanwhile, because the US is not talking with belligerence, the Iranian Reformers are attempting to regain power. Khatami, the former reform President announced a bid for reelection.

The entire reform movement in Iran was devastated when George Jr all but declared war on Iran with his 'axis of evil' threats. For the Iranian reform movement, it has been downhill since. American threats have encouraged all Iranians to support wacko extremists and more military weapons. Iranians did exactly what any people would do when overtly threatened. Remove those threats and Iran may again embrace reformists.

Current Iranian comments come from those extremists who have the same attitude as Cheney. Can Khatami get reelected?

I agree and hope that they (reformists) can regain momentum. The Iranian people really do want a secular government. At least, most of them do.

[Undertoad]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/11/wo...11iran.html?hp

Originally Posted by NYTimes

After the icy mutual hostility of the Bush era, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran on Tuesday made a conditional offer of dialogue to the Obama administration, saying Tehran was ready for "talks based on mutual respect and in a fair atmosphere."

But he coupled the offer with an attack on former President Bush, calling for him to be "tried and punished" for his policies and actions in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf region.

[footfootfoot]

Someone refresh my memory, why is the neutron bomb frowned upon?

[TheMercenary]

It killed people but not property. It was deemed inhumane. WTF?

Personally I thought it was a great idea.

[tw]

Without a wacko extremists for a counterparty, even Iran's Ahmadinejad has conceded to what a responsible leader does. Without threats from Cheney, his position as an elected leader is further threatened by another moderate - Khatami. From the Washington Post of 11 Feb 2009:

Iran is ready for dialogue with the United States, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday, directly addressing the U.S. administration in his most measured remarks to America since President Obama took office.

"The new U.S. government has announced that it wants to create change and follow the path of talks. It's very clear that true changes should be fundamental and not tactical," Ahmadinejad said during a massive rally in Tehran to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Islamic revolution that overthrew the U.S.-backed shah of Iran.

"These talks should be held in a fair atmosphere in which there is mutual respect," he added. ...

Ahmadinejad's overtures are made under tight supervision by Iran's other leaders, analysts say. "When he speaks, he does so with the approval of the Supreme National Security Council," a group that includes representatives of the country's religious, military and other power centers, said Mohammad Marandi, head of the North American studies department at the University of Tehran.

"They will decide if Iran will really deal with the United States," Marandi said. "It's the United States that should send signals first. They need Iran more than we need them," he added. "Iran can help the U.S. in Iraq, Afghanistan. Pakistan is unraveling, Iran also wants security and stability in those nations. The fact that they now work separately makes it impossible to get things done."

George Jr did Cheney's bidding. Amadinejad answers to his supreme council of neocon clerics. But simply remove a neocon extremist and suddenly something, always necessary for peace, is possible. Talking.

[footfootfoot]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

It killed people but not property. It was deemed inhumane. WTF?

Personally I thought it was a great idea.

Me too. Especially since the half life of Tritium is about 12 years. Pretty clean environment in a couple of decades. After reading a wiki article on it there was this ominous quote:
"One significant drawback of the weapon is that not all targeted troops will die or be incapacitated immediately. After a brief bout of nausea, many of those hit with about 5-50 Sv of radiation will experience a temporary recovery (the latent or "walking ghost phase"[12]) lasting days to weeks. Moreover, these victims would likely be aware of their inevitable fate and react accordingly."

[morethanpretty]

Originally Posted by footfootfoot

Me too. Especially since the half life of Tritium is about 12 years. Pretty clean environment in a couple of decades. After reading a wiki article on it there was this ominous quote:
"One significant drawback of the weapon is that not all targeted troops will die or be incapacitated immediately. After a brief bout of nausea, many of those hit with about 5-50 Sv of radiation will experience a temporary recovery (the latent or "walking ghost phase"[12]) lasting days to weeks. Moreover, these victims would likely be aware of their inevitable fate and react accordingly."

Walking ghost phase?
So...they turn into zombies and start killing indescrimnately?
OMG, my worst nightmare. *shudders* I hate zombies.

[sugarpop]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/11/wo...11iran.html?hp

Quote:
Originally Posted by NYTimes
After the icy mutual hostility of the Bush era, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran on Tuesday made a conditional offer of dialogue to the Obama administration, saying Tehran was ready for "talks based on mutual respect and in a fair atmosphere."

But he coupled the offer with an attack on former President Bush, calling for him to be "tried and punished" for his policies and actions in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf region.

I agree with that. In fact, I think Bush should be investigated and tried for war crimes, among other things.