A day after Condi Rice makes her "we'll join the Iran talks" announcement, which was clearly designed to set the table for group action with the EU, Russia and China, and after Mahmoud Ahmadinejad essentially tells her where she can stick her talks, the Gang of Six put an Iran deal on the table. It's chok full of fresh incentives for Tehran to just say no to nuclear. But most of the world believes the U.S. would much rather use the stick. Still, it gets harder and harder to see how the Bushies untie their hands enough to get much out of this. Sanctions on oil would cripple the world economy. Sanctions in general would probably be ether. So... what have we got?
More significant, perhaps, is that Iran’s apparent willingness to talk suggests that they believe that they may have an advantage. In no small way, our invasion of Iraq and subsequent quagmiring of our troops there has emboldened Iran to puff out its chest and speed up its activities. It needs to assert its sovereignty either through nuclear deterrence or through security guarantees. Enrichment is the path to both. Given that, Iran’s new engagement signals that it either feels like an invasion is coming OR that Western capitulation is imminent. Since our troops remain embroiled in Iraq, my guess is that Iran feels like it can probably secure a pretty sweet deal.
So while I am pleased to see that diplomacy is not dead, at least this far away from national elections anywy, I cannot help but feel insecure in our bargaining position. Bush claims that “all options are on the table” when it comes to Iran but it’s impossible not to point out that we can’t invade. That option was usurped by our rush into Iraq and, as such, we are left with nothing but our shriveled diplomacy with which to do battle. Iran understands this and it’s having its way with the Six Nation Coalition that so triumphantly announced today that it has a new plan.
What do you call a stick that's orange and has leafy greens at the top? A carrot.
<%
dim done
done = request.form("done")
if done = "" then
done = "No"
%>
Tell a friend
<%
Else
if request.form("done") = "Yes" then
'sets variables
dim email, sendmail
email = request.form("email")
Set sendmail = Server.CreateObject("CDONTS.NewMail")
'put the webmaster address here
sendmail.From = "webmaster@aspbasics.com"
'The mail is sent to the address entered in the previous page.
sendmail.To = email
'Enter the subject of your mail here
sendmail.Subject = "Check out this website"
'send a specific page or send a site url
dim url
'url = Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_REFERER")
url = "http://www.aspbasics.net"
'This is the content of the message.
sendmail.Body = "Site recommendation from a friend!" & _
vbCrlf & vbCrlf & "A friend has sent you this email and thought you would should check out this site." & _
vbCrlf & url & vbCrlf
'this sets mail priority.... 0=low 1=normal 2=high
sendmail.Importance = 1
sendmail.Send 'Send the email!
response.redirect Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_REFERER")
'Response.write ("Sent to ") & email
End if
End if
%>
"[T]he practice of arbitrary imprisonments, have been, in all ages, the favorite and most formidable instruments of tyranny.' Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 84, August, 1788
