Stephen M. Walt wants to know, since he is confused by the mixed signals sent by the Obama administration, first saying that they want to talk and then putting forward proposals that were blatantly unacceptable to the Iranians, who predictably rejected them.
Justin Raimondo poses similar concerns, saying “For all this administration’s alleged attempts to “engage” the Iranians, there were never any serious efforts to come to any kind of agreement: unconditional demands, exemplified by this latest ultimatum, were always at the core of various Western “peace” proposals. Now that the Iranian drama is coming down to the wire, virtually all pretenses at real negotiations have been rapidly discarded.”
Well, like Obama said to Medvedev, he’ll have much more leeway after the election. I hope there’s someone whispering that to someone in Iran’s foreign service.
I’m all in favor of talking to Iran in good faith — but do you really think the loony right would do anything other than throw a huge tantrum, accuse Obama of palling around with terrorists, and pretend to have found an Iranian birth certificate with his name on it?
This same sort of garbage goes on in so-called “negotiations” between Israel and Palestine. Remember the phrase “generous offer” being repeated by the US and Israeli governments, as well as being parroted unquestioningly by the media? The “generous offer” involved Palestinians forfeiting the right to all land stolen by Israel. How is that “generous”? Because it didn’t involved stealing the rest of the land (yet)?
The US could have negotiated with then-Iranian president Khatami before 2007, but called him a “powerless figurehead”. So how is it that Ahmadinejad “has his finger on a button” when he holds the exact same office as Khatami, both having the same political power?
It was because Khatami was a moderate, willing to talk and be reasonable as well as him pushing for electoral reforms in Iran. The US doesn’t want Iran to be a democracy, it wants Iran to be a dictatorship, which will make it easier to justify an invasion.
Gee, Prof. Singham really likes his antiSemites, Stephen Walt and Justin Raimando. When is he going to quote M. J. Rosenberg who just got the heave ho over at Media Matters.
Re leftover1under (aka Don Williams?) @ #2
Remember the phrase “generous offer” being repeated by the US and Israeli governments, as well as being parroted unquestioningly by the media? The “generous offer” involved Palestinians forfeiting the right to all land stolen by Israel.
Since the offer would have resulted in 100% of the Gaza Strip and 95% of the West Bank, one can only conclude that Mr. under considers that all of Israel was stolen from the Palestinians. Just like all the the Western Hemisphere was stolen from Native Americans by European settlers. And like all of Australia was stolen from the Aborigines by English convicts.
I would have thought that by now you would have realized I am totally unmoved by charges of anti-Semitism that are thrown around so casually without substantiation. Incidentally, I have linked to M. J. Rosenberg before and will do so again if his writing warrants it.
Prof. Singham may be unmoved but when he continues to cite antiSemites like Walt and Raimondo, I will call him on it.
By the way, it is my understanding that Rosenberg’s columns are often cited over at Stormfront and he says that he will continue having them reprinted on Al Jazeera.
By the way, Raimondo’s charge that Israel is behind the uprising in Syria is completely ridiculous. Far from being behind the uprising, Israel has tacitly been resisting regime change in Syria for years on the grounds that, as bad as it is, it is at least predictable, whereas its successor might be far worse from Israel’s point of view. Even today, the criticism of the Assad kleptocracy by officials in the Netanyahu administration is tepid at best (in fairness, the opposition parties have been a little more vocal). Given what is going on in Egypt, which has all but been taken over by the Muslim Brotherhood, their fears are not groundless.
http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2010/12/who-is-stephen-walt/67842/#
http://adamholland.blogspot.com/2011/08/justin-raimondos-syria-conspiracy.html
Oh boy, I almost forgot about Nobel Prize winning author and former SS soldier Gunther Grass, a two fisted Israel basher if there ever was one. However, I’m sure he will be greatly lionized on this blog.