quote:

Originally posted by Q5echo what do you base that on? aside from what they [Iran] lead the media to believe?

I'd say it wasn't just what Iran led our media to believe. It was a fax coming out of the State Dept. and was completely ignored. I'll refer you back to this page at the top where I posted this information:

http://www.tranceaddict.com/forums/...66&pagenumber=5

Now we can all guess hypothetically as to whether or not they would have held up to their end of the bargain, but considering we didn't even bother to give them a chance that hypothetical can't even be entertained. But from what it looks like, we had them scared shitless considering how quickly we wiped out their enemy in a matter of weeks compared to what it took them 8 years resulting in a stalemate.

And our Administration merely handwaved that opportunity away. At the very least they could have tried a little talkie talkie, just to take hold of the opportunity from our obvious advantage then, couldn't they?

quote:

negotiations are words basically, and beyond what we, Iraqis and other peaceful ME governments should expect from a "stabilization-seeking" Iran, nothing else major should matter much less negotiated...and that is giving, very generously, Iran the benefit of the doubt they would honor such negotiations.

Nevertheless I'd prefer words over bombing and blowing the heads off of countless hundreds of thousands of more innocent civilians. And it's clear this Administration has absolutely no diplomatic skills whatsoever, let alone give two wits about even trying.

quote:

IOW if Iran truly seeks to be a stabilizing force for peace in the ME, it has to be shown that they are, not rhetoric claiming that they are. nothing they do right now shows that they are capable of that in our absence...so we decide rightly that we will not be absent...we continue our goal of a stable and allied Iraq...we continue to show the world what Iran does and not so much what Iran says. that means that we got to look like big bad AmeriKKKa for the time being, so be it. there is little hope for nuance right now.

Personally I'd like to see this problem in the hands of those who don't have a neoconservative world police vision in mind of neverending warfare in that region, let alone believing all problems of Israel are therefore our problems by proxy. I don't mind the pressure we exert on Iran, in fact I encourage it. But it's difficult to separate our "pressure" from true threats, especially when we've seen nearly identical threats turning into action on our part.

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Whence September dusk grows crisper still,
with leaves all crimson conquered,
I yearn to shout,
and dance about,
and stick pickles in my honker...