Bush adviser dismisses call for talks with Iran

[TexasLawyer]

US to world-- No direct talks with Iran. There's no value in it. We'd rather just nuke them, thank you.


Sunday Apr 23 2006 . All times are London time.

http://news.ft.com/cms/s/5c47bab0-d2f6-11da-828e-0000779e2340.html
Middle East & Africa / Iran
In depth

Bush adviser dismisses call for talks with Iran
By Daniel Dombey in London
Published: April 23 2006 22:02 | Last updated: April 23 2006 22:02


One of the US government’s top advisers has rebuffed European calls for Washington to negotiate directly with Iran over Tehran’s nuclear programme. In an interview with the Financial Times, Philip Zelikow, counsellor at the US State Department, also said the Bush administration’s commitment to the democratisation of the Middle East was undimmed, despite the recent victory of Hamas, the militant Islamist group, in Palestinian legislative elections.

“The US position has been that at this time we don’t see value in having direct talks with the Iranians about, say, the nuclear issue,” he said, rejecting calls for such negotiations from Frank-Walter Steinmeier, German foreign minister, and other senior European diplomats.

Mr Zelikow, who has played an important role in framing US strategy as an adviser to Condoleezza Rice, US secretary of state, also brushed aside European suggestions that a long-term understanding with Tehran might involve a promise from the US that it has no intention of attacking Iran.

“The fallacy in a lot of the arguments about security assurances....is the assumption that the agenda of the current government in Iran is fundamentally entirely defensive,” he said. “Unfortunately, we’re engaged in a process with a regime that is dictatorial in its practices and revolutionary in its aims, with an agenda for destabilising neighbours and the broader Middle East.”

However he played down the prospect of US military action against Iran, even though President George W. Bush has repeatedly said that all options are on the table.

<snip>

[Notoverit]

1. Hmmm...Deja vue here...

[magellan]

2. Zelikow is talking outta both sides of his mouth

“The US position has been that at this time we don’t see value in having direct talks with the Iranians about, say, the nuclear issue,” he said, rejecting calls for such negotiations from Frank-Walter Steinmeier, German foreign minister, and other senior European diplomats.

snip...

“When we say all options are on the table, that includes diplomatic options too,” Mr Zelikow said. “Let’s try diplomacy first. Let’s give it a chance. And then we can judge whether or not it’s effective and take the conversation from there.”

How, please, can one "try diplomacy" when one isn't willing to engage in direct talks?? :crazy:

But here's the quote that sums it up:

“Unfortunately, we’re engaged in a process with a regime that is dictatorial in its practices and revolutionary in its aims, with an agenda for destabilising neighbours and the broader Middle East.”

This is about regime change, plain and simple. There is NOTHING Iran -- or Americans -- can do to stop BushCo now. They decided long ago. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised to learn they engineered Ahmadinejad's (I'm just gonna call him "Ahm mad") election so he could make their case for them.

[Roland99]

11. Sounds like he's projecting again.

[Brooklyn Michael]

13. Fair enough...

I'm projectile vomiting again...

:puke:

[Media_Lies_Daily]

3. Philip Zelikow has shown up in a lot of places hasn't he?....

...But that's to be expected from a shadow NeoCon, isn't it?

Want to know why the 911 Commission was such a failure? Look no farther than Philip Zelikow, executive director of the 9/11 Commission. Philip Zelikow was known at the time of his selection for that post as a Bush Family insider.

<http://www.witnessforpeace.org/midatlantic/Articles/Zelikow.html>

[DELUSIONAL]

4. second verse -- same as the first

The son of a bitch really really wants to play with his new toys -- he is the "decider" and he will decide who lives and who dies.

The US is a culture of life . . . but ONLY for the really really really rich folk -- who seem to think they will live forever. Now laws apply to this bunch.

[cliss]

5. Notice how they're not wasting time this time?

With Iraq, it was involving the U.N., dealing with the arms inspectors, dealing with Saddam, gearing up for war, dealing with Turkey, dealing with worldwide demonstrations, dealing with negotiators, dealing with the Niger forged documents, the SOTU.....

This time, they're just cutting to the chase.

[Erika]

6. He may be the decider

But Americans are sick of his decisions.

[pinto]

7. This hydra headed pretense at world diplomacy is going to

cause everyone a heap of trouble.

[TexasLawyer]

12. Yeah.. I don't even see how they can call it diplomacy

at all.

[ninkasi]

8. This is what happens

when people vote for somebody they think they'd like to have a beer with, instead of somebody with intelligence, integrity, and the ability to solve, rather than create, problems.

Not only do I believe that Bush will start a war with Iran, I also believe he will do it, among other reasons, because so many people are opposed to it. After all, he's the decider.

[no_hypocrisy]

9. "He will do it, among other reasons, because so many people are opposed

to it." I agree. In Bushworld, he does the opposite of common sense and consensus.

It's like having Captain "Wrongway" Peachfuzz ("Rocky & Bullwinkle") at the helm.

[Tempest]

10. And yet Bush is holding talks with Iran over Iraq

Bush is looking for Iran's help in Iraq, but is unwilling to talk to Iran about nuclear issues?

What a double standard.