IRAN WITH ATOMIC WEAPONS IS UNACCEPTABLE: CHIRAC

CAIRO April 19, 2006 (AFP) - The French president insisted that the door remained open for a resumption of talks as soon as Iran went along with the requests of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the UN Security Council, stressing that "more than ever the choice is in the hands of the Iranian leaders."

Chirac is sticking to the diplomatic option to try and get Tehran to budge while US President George W. Bush has not excluded any option, including military action against Iran. The French president reaffirmed Iran's "legitimate right" to civil nuclear energy, but on condition that the country give "objective guarantees on the peaceful nature of its program." "The IAEA found that its nuclear activities had been carried out in an underhand way," he said. "Besides, Iran is pursuing a worrying missile program."

Does Jack hope to cheat our mock by running around the world announcing himself as Iran's dupe?

Did Jack miss this headline?:

IRAN TURNS ITS BACK ON EU-3 FOR NUCLEAR TALKS
TEHRAN February 21, 2006 (AFP)

Or this one?

OUR NUCLEAR DRIVE IS UNSTOPPABLE, SAYS DEFIANT IRAN
April 14, 2006 (Telegraph)

It seems the Iranians long ago took the EU3 at its word:

EU WARNS IRAN: NO TALKS IF NUCLEAR FREEZE ENDS
August 3, 2005 (Guardian)

IRAN BREAKS UN NUCLEAR SEALS
August 10, 2005 (Guardian)

JACK: FRANCE READY TO NEGOTIATE
Président Egyptien M. Hosni Moubarak Et Le Président De La République Français
Visite Officielle En Egypte, 19 Avril 2006

Since Jack's government is too wilting to accomplish anything, how does he spend those long afternoons at the Élysée? Googling his name on the Web? We do not believe Jack is a regular Pave reader, but on the off-chance that he should land here, let us again review the big bulletpoints on Iran:

1. Secrecy. Iran began its nuclear enrichment program in secret and meant to keep it secret.

2. Duplicity. The EU3 arrogated negotiating duties with the Iranians. The Iranians signed and broke agreements, equivocated, lied, hissed, postured, and ignored the EU3 as it suited them. The Iranians have admitted to negotiating in bad faith and stringing along the EU3 to buy time to advance Iran's exposed nuclear program. In short, EU3 diplomacy has failed. Utterly.

3. Capability. The equipment, the processes, and the product of a nuclear energy program is indistinguishable from a nuclear weapons program. In tandem with its nuclear research Iran has an aggressive weapons and missile development program. It is fair to say that a missile capable of reaching Europe is not meant for Iran's neighbor Israel. It is also fair to say such a missile if fired is not meant to drop gumdrops.

4. Roguery. Iran actively supports and promotes terrorism and terrorists. But worse, the Iranians have defied, refused, and rejected that most sacred of French multipolar soapboxes, the UN. Nobel Peace Prize winner and UN atomic hand-wringer Mohamed ElBaradei has enlarged his timid Weltanschauung to include an Iran with weaponizable uranium.

5. Pertinacity. The Iranians have plainly, emphatically, and rudely said and shouted and ranted that they will have what they want the way they want it. And once they have what they want, they have taken pains that we not be surprised by what they plan to do next. The rest of the world can kick. Or pout. Or just curl up and die.

Just what diplomacy does Jack have up his sleeve to prevail against a determined Iran? What can he possibly offer at this point that hasn't been offered already? More likely Jack's diplomacy is so much show to mask giving the Iranians what the Iranians will take regardless.

This has become a contest of wills for Iran. And it is obvious Iran considers the huffing and puffing by Jack and his minipolar pals as no-contest at all.

PFFT (What is this?): Chucklehead diplomacy 5 | Out of candy 5 | Out of tricks 4 | Rayonnement français 0

Has the EU3 failed? I’m more worried about China and Russia and their attitudes toward Iraq.

I certainly think that 2 of the EU3 are more on our side on this than for Iraq. But I’m not so sure that their philosophy of Peragit tranquilla otestas, quod violenta nequit is correct with Iran. [peaceful pressure accomplishes more than violence]

I get the feeling that the EU3 and the US have done this whole thing backwards…we should have been in on more talks with Iraq, and EU2 should be more in on military force to Iran.

Part II

Here is interesting article about 17,000 young French citizens who have moved to Dublin in order to find work. Nice to see that some still think this is the way to go…until the last line of article when they say they are “sympathetic” to the protesters.
Go figure

Part III
Oops. In a thread below I told the Professor he was wrong. It appear it was me who was incorrect…the Generals were indeed retired. Don’t know how I got that mixed up. Still, non quis sed quid. [Don’t ask who says it, but look at what is being said]. And on that, I think I’m correct.

Part IV
Professor, we both need to brush up on the Latin. We both mispelled appellant. In Tacitus' famous line "They make a wilderness and call it peace". We both spelled it "appelling".

Andy,

Whether the EU3 is more in line with American objectives regarding Iran (more in than out) or no, it clearly has failed with its patty-cake diplomacy to attain those objectives. The EU3 negotiating strategy of progressively mushy talks has played into the plans of the Iranians. EU3 threats that wilt with Iranian pushback have proved to be no threats at all. This clearly has not been missed by Iran.

The Iranians -- much like terrorists without the convenience of a state -- are both delighted and bemused by the West's insistence that anything can be negotiated. Abominations, threats, imaginary slights, ginned-up pique, racial hatred, religious hatred, cultural hatred -- nothing is beyond consideration. And consideration bestows legitimacy. And the elevation to legitimacy is a success for an illegitimate cause. And success elevates what began as the tactical rhetoric of terrorism into a truism for terrorists.

About all this slung and sudden Latin -- as we remarked to Sister Gabriel many a long year ago, it will be the death.

DGB

"peaceful pressure accomplishes more than violence". Only if there is the real threat of force to back it up.