We negotiate with China day in and day out.
Why so much fear in negotiating with Iran?
Maybe some Pepsi-Cola and good old fashioned burgers (IN N OUT burger) will work miracles.
ellinas - 02:05pm on 05/16/2008
The examples given by Obama’s partisan defenders in all this are at best uninformed, and at worst disingenuous. Actually, the Bush administration has been negotiating with Iran for several years, both directly and indirectly through the offices of the EU, the IAEA, and the Russians. But there is a world of difference between doing that and announcing to the world that the US president wants face-to-face negotiations with no groundwork laid, no pre-conditions of any sort, no preliminary agreements in hand.
Having made such a foolish announcement, Obama is now obligated to explain to the American people what he would discuss with Mr. Ahmadinejad, what he would be willing to concede in those negotiations and what he expects to get in return from the Iranians. Having opened the door, rhetorically speaking, Obama can hardly expect to be able to close in the face of the same American people he opened it to, by bragging of his eagerness to enter top level, face-to-face negotiations.
Bat One - 02:05pm on 05/16/2008
OBAMA is sure talking big this week. The guy almost as bad as Jon Edwards the light weight/empty suit from N.C.
goon - 03:05pm on 05/16/2008
Didn’t this admin talk with China? North Korea?
Didn’t Reagan talk with Russia?
Talks bring about solutions. I don’t think this admin talks because Bush, simply, can’t. He can do that stupid giggle while schmoozing the Saudi’s tho-
brad - 03:05pm on 05/16/2008
Brad: The last time I looked, neither the Russians or the Chinese had blown a hole in the USS Cole or attacked the World Trade Center twice; the second time with horrendous results.
Nor do I recall either nation saying that it is Allah’s will that the “great satan” USA be destroyed.
pparets - 03:05pm on 05/16/2008
Barry O laments “fear mongering?”
What about all the yammering about “global warming?”
Kevin - 04:05pm on 05/16/2008
The last time I looked,...the Chinese had [not]blown a hole in the USS Cole
BAGHDAD: Iraq has ordered $US100 million ($113 million) worth of military equipment from China for its police force, claiming the US is unable to provide the material and is too slow to deliver arms shipments.
The Washington Post reported yesterday that the China deal had alarmed military analysts, who had said Iraq’s security forces were already unable to account for more than 190,000 weapons supplied by the US. Many of these weapons are believed to be in the hands of Shia and Sunni militias and insurgents.
Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, meeting with Post editors and reporters yesterday, said only one in five Iraqi police officers was armed and called for faster weapons delivery from the US to beef up Iraq’s fledgling army.
The capabilities of Iraqi security forces are pivotal to the US exit strategy in Iraq, with the creation of a viable police force critical to reconciliation.
The report said the Chinese arms deal shed light on the larger dispute between the US and Iraq over rebuilding the war-torn nation’s armed forces and police. Iraqi officials have long complained about the supply of weapons and equipment for their personnel.
Mr Talabani yesterday expressed frustration with delays in equipping the Iraqi forces.
One might question if bushco is truly lending a helping hand as the Iraqi’s try to stand up, or just awarding no bid contracts until his time is up.
realitybasedbob - 05:05pm on 05/16/2008
Brad: There is a difference, none of those countries are praying to be “martyred”, Iran is not a rational adversary. A state is very different than a terrorist sponsor state. MAD, mutual assured destruction has worked for a long time...I think we’ve reached the end of that. I wish we could talk and fix things as we have here and there over the decades, but I’m afraid that this time we’re going to decide to win, or decide to lose. I hate to say this, because it has been overstated at times, but we really have not seen the likes of this since Hitler...and he died 25 years before I was born. We need to realize what these things are when they do come along, we don’t want them to or expect them...but we must recognize them (in my humble opinion). Oh yeah, the Saudi’s SUCK and I can’t wait until we don’t need them anymore! Seeeeeeeeeyaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.
We negotiate with China day in and day out.
Why so much fear in negotiating with Iran?
Maybe some Pepsi-Cola and good old fashioned burgers (IN N OUT burger) will work miracles.
The examples given by Obama’s partisan defenders in all this are at best uninformed, and at worst disingenuous. Actually, the Bush administration has been negotiating with Iran for several years, both directly and indirectly through the offices of the EU, the IAEA, and the Russians. But there is a world of difference between doing that and announcing to the world that the US president wants face-to-face negotiations with no groundwork laid, no pre-conditions of any sort, no preliminary agreements in hand.
Having made such a foolish announcement, Obama is now obligated to explain to the American people what he would discuss with Mr. Ahmadinejad, what he would be willing to concede in those negotiations and what he expects to get in return from the Iranians. Having opened the door, rhetorically speaking, Obama can hardly expect to be able to close in the face of the same American people he opened it to, by bragging of his eagerness to enter top level, face-to-face negotiations.
OBAMA is sure talking big this week. The guy almost as bad as Jon Edwards the light weight/empty suit from N.C.
Didn’t this admin talk with China? North Korea?
Didn’t Reagan talk with Russia?
Talks bring about solutions. I don’t think this admin talks because Bush, simply, can’t. He can do that stupid giggle while schmoozing the Saudi’s tho-
Brad: The last time I looked, neither the Russians or the Chinese had blown a hole in the USS Cole or attacked the World Trade Center twice; the second time with horrendous results.
Nor do I recall either nation saying that it is Allah’s will that the “great satan” USA be destroyed.
Barry O laments “fear mongering?”
What about all the yammering about “global warming?”
Maybe not but they are arming insurgents in Iraq:
US warns China over weapon links in Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan
RBB: let’s not confuse our time-sequencing here…
nor should we forget the unwritten, understood rule of all political persuasions… one never questions arms sales too very loud…
You’re right, let’s get our sequences in order.
One might question if bushco is truly lending a helping hand as the Iraqi’s try to stand up, or just awarding no bid contracts until his time is up.
Brad: There is a difference, none of those countries are praying to be “martyred”, Iran is not a rational adversary. A state is very different than a terrorist sponsor state. MAD, mutual assured destruction has worked for a long time...I think we’ve reached the end of that. I wish we could talk and fix things as we have here and there over the decades, but I’m afraid that this time we’re going to decide to win, or decide to lose. I hate to say this, because it has been overstated at times, but we really have not seen the likes of this since Hitler...and he died 25 years before I was born. We need to realize what these things are when they do come along, we don’t want them to or expect them...but we must recognize them (in my humble opinion). Oh yeah, the Saudi’s SUCK and I can’t wait until we don’t need them anymore! Seeeeeeeeeyaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.