Sounds like very very sane advice to me. Is there anyone left in the US that still believes that whatever the military/neocon plan is it's working in the Middle East?
Should the US unconditionally talk to Iran? Does the US even have any options left, other than to talk?
quote:
Bush Must Negotiate to Make America Safer, Say Former Generals
By Aaron Glantz
08/18/06 "OneWorld" -- -- Twenty-one former generals and high ranking national security officials have called on United States President George W. Bush to reverse course and embrace a new area of negotiation with Iran, Iraq, and North Korea. In a letter released Thursday, the group told reporters Bush's 'hard line' policies have undermined national security and made America less safe.
Of particular concern for the generals was increased saber rattling between Washington and Tehran over the development of an Iranian nuclear program.
"We call on the administration to engage immediately in direct talks with the government of Iran without preconditions to help resolve the current crisis in the Middle East and to settle differences over an Iranian nuclear program," their letter read.
"An attack on Iran would have disastrous consequences for security in the region and U.S. forces in Iraq," they argued. "It would inflame hatred and violence in the Middle East and among Muslims everywhere."
Iran offered to talk to the US through a Swiss intemidiary. American refuses to talk whatever way it is offered. It's a pathetic pig-headed attitude, and the sooner we have diplomats in Washington, rather than idiots who think every problem can be solved with bombs (shades of the terrorist way of thinking perhaps?) the better. Many countries in Europe including Britian have diplomatic relations with Iran, so it is possible. America is just being ridiculously stubborn. Look at the stupid embargo the US has had on Cuba for decades. What the hell were Cuba ever going to do to the US in the last 20 years?
The US repression of Cuba is not about what Cuba does to the US. It's about what Cuba does to its own people, like shooting them if they try to leave.
That's BS. US foreign policy is not based on how another country treats its people. The examples are too numberous to mention, but here's two good examples - China and Uzbekistan.
The fact is, America has failed to force Cuba (and they tried their damnedest) to move to a market led capitalist system that suits American interests. If Castro was a right-wing thug who brutalised his people but opened up Cuba's markets, you wouldn't hear about the human rights abuses and the US would embrace the country with open arms.
Other than to talk, what does Iran want? I know what the U.S. wants, but I have never heard Iran lay out what they want. They had a perfect soapbox on CBS 60 Minutes a week ago. Why did they not use that venue to tell the world what they want?
You say we should negotiate. Not talking can be a part of negotiating.
Is Iran saying it wants to talk just to say it? Possibly. Actually, more than likely. Will they actually finish their nuclear program? No. One way or the other it won't happen. North Korea, they are not. It's political chest puffing so they can garner some respect while all their neighbors are getting the crap bombed out of them by the U.S. and friends. We have plenty of boats that can take out Iran and make them a footnote in history quicker than they can say 'ignition'.
EUCLID said this in post #6 :
[B]Other than to talk, what does Iran want? I know what the U.S. wants, but I have never heard Iran lay out what they want.
Here's a couple of things both sides clearly want: the US wants to but is failing to maintain it's influence and power in the region, while Iran wants to see that influence and power gone, and it's easy to see why: the US and UK installed a brutal dictatorship which ruled Iran with an iron fist for 27 years. Then the US ecouraged Saddam Hussein to attack Iran, and supported Iraq's attack during that long war (1 million dead). So fear of America's motives in the region are understandable.
quote:
You say we should negotiate. Not talking can be a part of negotiating.
Iran has offered to talk. Where has the US's refusal to talk got anyone? Europe, Russian, China, etc all have diplomatic relations with Iran, so it is ludicrous for the US to refuse, but Bush does just that.
08-19-2006 07:24 PM
