will obama and rouhani meet face to face?

[bud]

it looks like after three decades of stubbornness, the presidents of both nations will finally be meeting face to face. some see it as nothing more than a photo op, where both sides will go on as usual after the meet. but there is a glimpse of hope that this meeting can by the catalyst towards peaceful negotiations.

so far, the inability to move forward in direct negotiations is blamed on the powers behind the scene. on one hand, you have the hardliners in iran, led by khamenei whose tone has softened (some say it's due to the economic hardship) and on the other, you have the powerful necon and israeli right lobbies, who have a strong voice in the u.s. foreign policy.

the israeli government is already rejecting iran's new, so-called moderate president's offer of talk and peace, while the AIPAC biggest money recipients like lindsey graham are pushing for a war against iran.

rouhani, who seems to be a lot more likable than the former iranian president, ahmadinejad, even took out a full page ad in the washington post in order to tell the world that iran is not looking to make nuclear weapons and to show his willingness to negotiate. but in a familiar tone, iran continues to stand firm on its right to have nuclear power. something that the u.s. and israeli governments, so far, are not willing to accept.

Edited September 25, 2013 by bud

[Bonam]

it looks like after three decades of stubbornness, the leaders of both nations will finally be meeting face to face.

Rouhani isn't the leader of Iran. Wrong in the first sentence.

[bud]

Rouhani isn't the leader of Iran. Wrong in the first sentence.

he is the president. if you want, i can change it to that.

curious, as a sometimes moderate zionist, do you agree with AIPAC's push for war with iran?

[Shady]

he is the president. if you want, i can change it to that.

curious, as a sometimes moderate zionist, do you agree with AIPAC's push for war with iran?

Yes, you'd better change it. The supreme leader is the leader of Iran. The president is selected from a group of candidates approved of by the supreme leader.

[bud]

okay changed from leader to president.

so how about rouhani's openness to engage in diplomatic talks?

[Bonam]

so how about rouhani's openness to engage in diplomatic talks?

A positive step forward.

[bud]

A positive step forward.

how do you feel about AIPAC and one of its top campaign donations recipients, like lindsey graham pushing for a war?

[jbg]

so how about rouhani's openness to engage in diplomatic talks?

A positive step forward.

Iranians playing for time and playing on the West's sense of naivette and hope. I fell for that hook, line and sinker in February 1972, when I was 14, and Nixon went to China. Fortunately, I lost that blissful attitude when Nixon took it to the next level in his May 1972 trip to Moscow. I was 15 then and a bit more mature.

Nixon, frankly, should have quit while he was ahead after visiting Trudeau in Ottawa that April.

I place little stock in the false smile of the "leaders" of implacably hostile countries.

[Bonam]

Iranians playing for time and playing on the West's sense of naivette and hope.

Hopefully Western powers will move to quickly test the sincerity of Iran's newfound peaceful intentions. If Iran is truly not looking to make nuclear weapons, that can be proven. Western inspectors will have to have open access to all of Iran's nuclear sites, and Iran will have to comply with any recommendations made to ensure that its nuclear program remains purely peaceful, such as not refining uranium beyond a certain level and not possessing machinery capable of refining uranium past that level. All of this can be established within a few months, otherwise, you may be right.

[jbg]

All of this can be established within a few months, otherwise, you may be right.

And if I'm right what do we do about it?

[Bonam]

And if I'm right what do we do about it?

I'm not sure. The US has lost its appetite for military intervention. I suppose if Israel feels sufficiently threatened by nuclear weapons development in Iran, it will likely take care of the issue itself. It does have the capability.

[cybercoma]

There is a very simple solution to this. I'm not sure all the details about this, but there are some kinds of nuclear power generators that can be used for weapons, while others cannot. If Iran is sincere, they will be fine with having the power plants that do not have the proper by-products for weapons.

[jbg]

There is a very simple solution to this. I'm not sure all the details about this, but there are some kinds of nuclear power generators that can be used for weapons, while others cannot. If Iran is sincere, they will be fine with having the power plants that do not have the proper by-products for weapons.

And assuming it's not sincere?

[cybercoma]

Then obviously they'll fight to have the other power generators.

[Michael Hardner]

Iranians playing for time and playing on the West's sense of naivette and hope. I fell for that hook, line and sinker in February 1972, when I was 14, and Nixon went to China.

Hmmm ? What's the analogy here ? We seem to have a more healthy relationship with China than Russia in a lot of ways.

When is positive engagement a bad thing ? Churchill was friendly with the Soviets all through WW2 although he knew where that relationship was going.

[bud]

here is an interesting talk about the huge loss of u.s. business due to the sanctions on iran. of all places, this is on fox!

foxbusiness

[Shady]

Are they going to stop their nuclear weapons program? If not. I don't care what kind of charm offensive they use to trick people.

[bud]

Are they going to stop their nuclear weapons program? If not. I don't care what kind of charm offensive they use to trick people.

so far there is no evidence that they have a nuclear weapons program. it's all accusations.

that said, is israel going to stop it's nuclear weapons program? if not, then the west is a hypocrite for having yet another hypocritical demand.

[DogOnPorch]

so far there is no evidence that they have a nuclear weapons program. it's all accusations.

that said, is israel going to stop it's nuclear weapons program? if not, then the west is a hypocrite for having yet another hypocritical demand.

What are the ICBMs they're developing for? Why does Iran need high speed re-entry shrouds?

Edited September 24, 2013 by DogOnPorch

[GostHacked]

What are the ICBMs they're developing for? Why does Iran need high speed re-entry shrouds?

OH I know .. to protect itself from the Great Satan. Devils to the left, devils to the right, north and south. Looks like we got ourselves a wagon circle. Except this time the enemy is on the inside of the circle.

[DogOnPorch]

OH I know .. to protect itself from the Great Satan. Devils to the left, devils to the right, north and south. Looks like we got ourselves a wagon circle. Except this time the enemy is on the inside of the circle.

How will a dummy ICBM with no nuclear warhead protect Iran from your Great Satan?

[Hudson Jones]

What are the ICBMs they're developing for? Why does Iran need high speed re-entry shrouds?

Let me answer that one: Who said they are developing ICBMs? They are testing a rocket engine that "could" be used for ICBM and of course many other types of rockets. So typical of you to try to spread misinformation.

[jbg]

Hmmm ? What's the analogy here ? We seem to have a more healthy relationship with China than Russia in a lot of ways.

When is positive engagement a bad thing ? Churchill was friendly with the Soviets all through WW2 although he knew where that relationship was going.

I think that having our goods sold at Walmart made by slave labor is not a good thing. Also to the extent that we believe in AGW having a lot of world manufacturing in countries lacking in any environmental or labor standards.

Also in both cases we have given far more than we have gotten, and been co-conspirators in the deprivation of freedom to billions.

[Shady]

No real surprise here, Rouhani declines to meet with Obama. Looks like he had some of you fooled though. Let that be a lesson.

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/09/obama-hassan-rouhani-meeting-97278.html

[DogOnPorch]

Let me answer that one: Who said they are developing ICBMs? They are testing a rocket engine that "could" be used for ICBM and of course many other types of rockets. So typical of you to try to spread misinformation.

Iran is currently developing several ballistic missile designs...both solid and liquid powered. For example the Shahab family of ballistic missiles as seen below in fine working order. It is you spreading misinformation. What's worse, is that anyone can find volumes of information on Iran's rocket programs simply by using Google. Why haven't you bothered?