>
> There may be more interesting stuff in the comments to
> the blog posts, but you typically have to wade through
> a fair amount of inanity to find the nuggets.
I only looked at the responses to Juan Cole's
"Informed Comment" blog. These were interesting:
Ran Talbott said...
I propose that we completely forget about negotiating with Iran about its nuclear program,
and would like to hear your views on how the Iranians would respond to this strategy.
It's my belief that the monitoring program negotiated by the EU3 will provide us with
weeks, or months, or warning of an Iranian attempt to enrich weapons-grade, rather than
reactor-grade, uranium (evidence to the contrary, if any, would be appreciated).
I propose that the U.S. simply stake out a position along these lines (with some suitable
polishing of language): "Even though we don't trust you, we'll respect your NPT rights as
long as you stick to the inspection regimen. But if (and ONLY if) you cheat, we'll destroy
your nuclear capability without further warning".
Period. Done. No haggling about meeting venues, the shape of the negotiating table, or
what to do about all the other problems (real or imagined) we have with each other. Just
get this single, life-and-death issue settled, and deal with the rest later.
Would Tehran go along with this approach? Or has all the posturing and sabre-rattling
already poisoned the well?
Matthias said...
I am baffled by how ferociously this letter is being dismissed by the White House and the
media.
"Iran letter blasts Bush, democracy"
I don't know if whoever wrote this (AP or CNN) has read the same letter I have. One can
agree or disagree with what has been written, but the letter raises conscious questions as
to where things stand and what issues need to be addressed.
No matter how much mistrust may be there, there is someone reaching out to address and
discuss the issues beyond saber rattling and oil business deals. Even anyone opposed to
religious rhetoric can see that.
The broad dismissal by the administration and the media makes me question as to where
the moral high ground really lies. We are the ones on the triggers of the bigger guns and
so it is our moral duty to take the hand of anyone who reaches out and consciously
address the questions that are being raised.
Even if no agreement can be found whatsoever and no matter how outrageous the claims
may be, I think it goes without saying that I should be able to expect the content of this
letter be challenged, analyzed and responded to point by point by my administration.
Otherwise how can I trust them or be sure that my side really does have the moral high
ground?
No response or broad dismissal is what a child or bully would do, not a society that thinks
of itself of standing for reason, moral and freedom.
drlemur said...
Two points I haven't seen raised elsewhere:
1. Given that the saber rattling is driving up the price of oil, aren't the Iranians (and other
producers) actually making out like bandits because of the uncertainty? If they are fairly
confident that the US cannot attack, there doesn't seem to be much reason they'd want to
resolve the "crisis." Just wondering.
2. At some point doesn't our economic dependency on the Chinese central bank start to
affect geopolitical decisions? China is pretty consistently against violations of national
sovereignity (being invaded repeatedly for a few centuries will do that to you). If they
simply hinted they would stop buying american dollars (financing our current account
deficit) if the US attacked Iran, wouldn't that be potentially catastrophic for the US
economy? It'd be bad for China, too, but it seems like they can call the shots if they'd like
to.
Maybe I don't know anything about the macroeconomic relationship between the US &
China, but at some point it seems like the administration's domestic stupidity is going to
have foreign policy consequences.
> Anyway, of the bunch, I thought Kaplan's essay was by
> far the most thoughtful.
Yeah, I think so, too. I thought most of the others were throwaways, written to meet a
deadline and fill up some space.
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