Every administration since 1979 has reached out to the Iranians in one way or another and all have failed. Some have gotten into deep trouble associated with their failures, but the reality is the Iranian leadership has been consistently unyielding over a very long period of time in response to repeated overtures from the United States about having a different and better kind of relationship.---
...They love to talk, and they excel at talking, which they view quite differently from the way we look at “engagement†or “negotiations.†We seek durable agreements to resolve fundamental problems; The Iranians are quite capable of striking temporary deals with their worst enemies, fully intending to resume hostilities when circumstances are more favorable.
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...if all we want to do is talk, they’ll certainly talk.... As the Iranians see it, if we’re talking, they can continue to pursue their atomic bomb. So talking is good for them.
It’s very unlikely to be good for us.
Apparently Obama representatives have been talking at some level with the Iranians since even before the election.
Posted by dan at February 3, 2009 11:17 AM