"Cheney was dead set against it,"

[Laura PourMeADrink]

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/01/world/middleeast/01iran.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

For Bush, Talks With Iran Were a Last Resort
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By DAVID E. SANGER
Published: June 1, 2006
WASHINGTON, May 31 — After 27 years in which the United States has refused substantive talks with Iran, President Bush reversed course on Wednesday because it was made clear to him — by his allies, by the Russians, by the Chinese, and eventually by some of his advisers — that he no longer had a choice.

snip
There was strong opposition from the White House, particularly from Vice President Dick Cheney, according to several former officials.

"Cheney was dead set against it," said one former official who sat in many of those meetings. "At its heart, this was an argument about whether you could isolate the Iranians enough to force some kind of regime change." But three officials who were involved in the most recent iteration of that debate said Mr. Cheney and others stepped aside — perhaps because they read Mr. Bush's body language, or perhaps because they believed Iran would scuttle the effort by insisting that the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty gives it the right to develop nuclear fuel. The United States insists that Iran gave up that right by deceiving inspectors for 18 years.
snip

[bryant69]

1. I don't know

On the one hand, beter to talk than to make war. On the other hand President Bush is a Chowderhead, so the talks might not go great.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[Laura PourMeADrink]

2. Chowderhead? LOL (Manhattan or New England style?)

[sutz12]

4. It's probably Corn Chowder. Texas style, you know.

:rofl:

[bryant69]

7. mmmmm Corn Chowder. Damn good stuff. nt

[elehhhhna]

16. CHICKEN and corn chowder. hello.

[hootinholler]

17. Corn and Chickenhawk chowdah n/t

[pansypoo53219]

25. but but but i though he was souffle'?

can you have clam/corn souffle'?

[charlie]

6. Probably won't make a difference

Cheney will just probably make sure wrecking crew Bolton-types are part of the talks.

[bryant69]

8. You are probably right.

[Sadie5]

20. Bush is not smart enough

to speak properly, let alone to negotiate with the Iranians. Heaven help the Iranians if Bush is in charge.

[charlie]

23. No, heaven help Bush

If it really were up to Dubya to do the negoshyatin', they could discombobulate him enough that he'd leave thinking he'd engineered an historic settlement, when he'd really just ceded Texas to Iran.

[sutz12]

3. Hey, Shrub, you're the decider....

tell Dickie to STFU. According to the Constitution you are currently shredding, you out rank him.

Stand up for once in your life and do something!

:evilgrin:

[npincus]

5. Cheney ought to climb into his air-tight bio-hazard suit

and zip it up over his head.

[Blaze Diem]

9. "....perhaps because they read Mr. Bush's body language,"

Ha..geez, my brain came to a dead stop , on reading that line.

Other than, "I don't give a rats ass about anybody but me and mine,too bad for y'all...hhehehe", I don't think there is much to his body language.

Does he even HAVE body language other than, "I'm a lying asshole?"

[Laura PourMeADrink]

13. Yes! Maybe the "body language" was that Junior actually looked

like he knew what everyone was talking about. Cheney is used to him acting like a little leager in left field, looking down, kicking the dirt when the ball gets hit out there.

[sweetheart]

10. A victory for lilliput

God pounds her nails.

[originalpckelly]

11. "Cheney was dead set against it?" might want to ease up on the "dead" talk

Did he die? Do they just move him around event to event? Is this "Weekend at Cheney's"?
You decide:

[Laura PourMeADrink]

12. Funny ! Hey, notice how the picture of Colin is blurred. He

probably never fit in. Bet he has trouble sleeping at night..

[PATRICK]

14. If so that explains

the extreme, stupid wording by Condy, that in essence asks Iran to surrender absolutely on all points BEFORE talks with no guarantee that even extreme obsequious surrender and a host of "inspectors" chosen by the US of course, would be anything but making war easier for the US. Then of course there is the ultimatum long before the UN even meets to consider if sanctions are needed.

In this dance Iran needs to ask for pubic explanations and comments by other nations not unconditional surrender-let's talk- Ulysses C. Rice. Obviously this is meant to cover Bush's jaw grinding surrender to again humbly asking for the world's permission by also sneakily goading and posing and hoping Iran will clearly and passionately reject this "offer".

What iran needs to do is to keep this issue of "what the hell is THIS?" brought before the world body, since the US, unfortunately is not yet talking directly with Iran anyway. What Cheney fears is getting bogged down and obstructed and this vengeful ploy is to spitefully make "talks" instead a jumpstart to war. I think Iran should ask for explanations before denying the ultimatum so that first and foremost it can be exposed for what it is. Maybe talks about the talks are in order if this is the best the US can do. Compared to Iran's FIRST overture it is rude, provocative and piss poor absurd, and even childish as an ultimatum since it hardly seems sincere. Hitler made ultimatums like this in order to obtain an excuse to invade. There is hardly any wriggle room to actually obtain any progress at all in keeping more nukes out of the ME, but there is a wide opening to continue the WH war against Iran.

Cheney is still calling the shots and the other powers out there have not committed to anything as openly decisive. So war, with ugly foreign policy defeats, is still inevitable- as of now. This is the administration stripped bare, the sock puppet full of holes and worthless, the naked despicable and relentless abuse proceeding like a vomit projectile.

[global1]

15. We Should All Know By Now That This Administration Does Exactly....

opposite of what they say. The rhetoric sounds good - but it is simply a smokescreen so that when Iran balks * has an out to say we tried the diplomacy thing and it didn't work - so now we have to go in and do our job - pre-emptively - regime change - war - terror - better there than here - nu cul ar.

[bdamomma]

18. cheney was against it???

this man is nothing but evil, I hate them all.

[izzie]

19. I do not understand why they will not talk?

Heck we even talked to USSR

[nytemare]

21. Isolate the Iranians enough to force some kind of regime change?

????
The current regime is in Iran exactly because of Bush. Include them in an "Axis of Evil" with one country that you invade illegally, and they will elect a crazy right winger to stand up to our crazy right winger. They wanted to fight fire with fire.

[The Stranger]

22. Isolate Iran? Cheney/Chimpy have isolated the U.S., and this is evidence

of it: Everyone (China, Russia, Europe, UN) has insisted that the U.S. back out of its corner and at least fucking talk.

How can 300 million be so misled?

[maine_raptor]

24. Ah yes, Uncle Dick,"The Cuban Strategy"

No economic ties, push for a trading embargo throughout the world, badmouth the country at every chance, don't talk diplomatically with them at the UN or anywhere else, and refuse to have anything to do with them in general.

Basically what we did with Cuba. Look how well it worked with Castro,

Nice "Forward" thinking there, ol'Deadeye! :sarcasm: