U.S., Europe Ready to Compromise With Iran

Not too long ago I suggested in the cases of the Palestinians and North Korea that the strategy should be to give them nearly everything they ask for but the kitchen sink. If they in turn honor their respective agreements with the West then all the better. If not, the West can then say that they tried, they were reasonable but both regimes are just irresponsible pariahs and then move forward with a more aggressive strategy. It's a diplomatic public relations tact for sure but a necessary one when you consider how many Westerners themselves continue to feel as if American and some cases Europe, are the real evil empires of the world. Despite attending conferences where they openly discuss a World Without Zionism, I believe, as it seems is already happening, that we should utilize this same tact with Iran.

The main point of the article below indelibly ties the fate of Iran to Russia. I believe that Russia, while wanting to show off its prominence and re-establish its dominant role in the world, will not provoke or be in any way responsible for a nuclear war. Buy connecting Iran and Russia's fate we in all probability tame Iran from doing serious damage to the US without the cost of a real live military invasion or an attempted coup. This argument follows for China and Iran as well.

Russia doesn't want war. They want cash. They want bragging rights. They want the US out of Central Asia. This can all be accomplished by propping up Iran as a regional superpower, which is exactly what they want as well. Now, if Iran were to do something insanely stupid and provoke a serious military retaliation from the US than all parties lose. First, there will be no more Iran after we're done with it, therefore the Russians will have lost yet another major economic investment (see Iraq). Second, any provocation by Iran against the US will only result in further occupation Central Asia or as the Russians call it, the former Soviet Republics (all those unpronouncable -stans you know and love). This is counter to what the Russians are trying to accomplish.

The below article may sound like a defeat but in all actuallity, it's the best decision for all parties involved. The only way playing hardball with a regime like Iran works is if they are in near total isolation. Obviously they aren't. And when you come right down to it, whatever Iran's role is in the Iraqi insurgency or terrorism in general is probably equal to Saudi Arabia's role in terrorism (with the exception of the occasional raid on Al Qaeda). And you'll notice we have no problem doing business with those people.

The United States and Europe are ready to compromise with Iran over its nuclear program and have tentatively approved a plan that would allow it to make the gas used in producing enriched uranium, senior officials and diplomats said Thursday.
The officials and diplomats, who demanded anonymity in exchange for discussing the strategy, said the plan would allow Iran to convert raw uranium into the gas that is spun by centrifuges into enriched uranium. But the actual enrichment would take place in Russia, they told The Associated Press.

Depending on its level, enrichment can be used to generate energy or make nuclear weapons. Iran insists it is interested in the technology only to produce power, but the United States and many other countries fear Tehran wants to enrich uranium to weapons-grade levels to use as the fissile core in warheads.

Iran has refused to bow to international demands that it renounce its right to enrichment and related activities and in August resumed the uranium conversion process.

That prompted Britain, France and Germany to break off talks with Tehran meant to dispel fears about its nuclear agenda. It also led a September meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-nation board to approve a resolution clearing the path for Iran's referral to the U.N. Security Council at a Nov. 24 board meeting.

Iran is the focus of an IAEA probe of nearly 18 years of covert nuclear activities, including experiments that could be used in weapons development, that were revealed more than three years ago. It recently agreed to accelerate cooperation with IAEA inspectors to blunt the threat of Security Council action.

Publicly, both the Americans and the three European nations representing the European Union in the talks have insisted that Iran needed to stop all enrichment-related activity - including uranium conversion - to defuse the threat of Security Council referral.

But a senior European official told the AP Thursday that the EU-Three and Washington were now prepared to allow Iran to continue conversion as long as the gas produced was shipped to Russia and enriched there. That would allow international control over the level of enrichment, ensuring that it was below the levels that can be used for weapons. More