"U.S. Opens Door To Bilateral Talks With Iranians"

[Clio the Leo]

By Glenn Kessler
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, October 1, 2009

GENEVA, Sept. 30 -- The United States hopes to launch a process here Thursday that could rein in Tehran's nuclear ambitions and possibly reorient Iran's role in the world, though U.S. officials are skeptical that Tehran will act decisively when its diplomats sit down for long-awaited discussions with world powers.

U.S. officials signaled Wednesday that they will seek a rare bilateral meeting with Iranian diplomats during the discussions. The talks between Iran and major powers, expected to last through the day, have been structured to allow for both group meetings and informal, bilateral sessions with Iran; a senior administration official said the latter would be "an opportunity to reinforce the main concerns we will be emphasizing in the meeting." He spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the diplomatic sensitivity ahead of the talks.

President Obama has sought to make engagement with the Islamic republic and other antagonistic nations a central part of his foreign policy, but until now Iran has spurned his efforts. Nevertheless, the talks could be the most substantial and in-depth conversation between the United States and Iran since relations were severed after the Iranian revolution 30 years ago. The chief U.S. negotiator, Undersecretary of State William J. Burns, is a career diplomat who joined in similar major-power talks in July of last year, in the final months of the Bush administration, but was barely permitted to speak under rules set by the White House.

The senior administration official said Wednesday that "we are committed to meaningful negotiations to resolve what are growing international concerns about Iran's nuclear problem." But, he added, "this cannot be an open-ended process, more talks for the sake of talks," especially after the revelation last week that Iran has a second uranium-enrichment plant under construction. "We need to see practical steps and measurable results, and we need to see them starting quickly."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/30/AR2009093002407.html?hpid=topnews

And that, my friends is.........



and



Hit it Will!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bgw34xRuuUw

[Jennicut]

1. Diplomacy...a new concept in the US. Or an old one dusted off.

We can be tough on them with sanctions but should never cut off communications, I think things just get even worse.