U.S. says ready for Iran talks based on 'mutual respect'

[oberliner]

Source: Reuters

The United States is ready to engage in talks "on the basis of mutual respect" with Iran about its disputed nuclear program as long as Tehran is willing to demonstrate that its program is for civilian purposes, a White House spokesman said on Friday.

"We have had a number of engagements with the Iranians and we'll continue to have conversations on the basis of mutual respect," Josh Earnest, the deputy White House spokesman, told reporters aboard Air Force One.

"And over the course of those conversations there will be an opportunity for the Iranians to demonstrate through actions the seriousness with which they are pursuing this endeavor," Earnest said.

U.S. President Barack Obama and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani will be in New York next week for a meeting of the U.N. General Assembly. The White House has said that an encounter between the two leaders is possible.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/20/us-usa-iran-talks-idUSBRE98J0OG20130920

[phleshdef]

1. President Barack Obama might put the final nail in the Neocon coffin with this.

Aside from forging an effective peace agreement between Israel and Palestine, settling things down with Iran is about the most monumental thing he could accomplish foreign policy wise.

[geek tragedy]

2. Which explains the meltodown from Team Bibi today nt

[dipsydoodle]

3. lol

nicely put.

[oberliner]

4. Netanyahu to meet Obama on Iran

With Syria's chemical weapons now the subject of negotiations, attention is shifting back to questions about Iran's nuclear program.

Officials in Israel say Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with President Obama in Washington on Sept. 30, with Iran at the top of the agenda.

"I intend to focus on the question of stopping Iran's nuclear program, an actual halt to the nuclear program," Netanyahu said. "And until this is achieved, the pressure on Iran should be intensified and not eased."

The White House confirmed the Sept. 30 meeting.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/theoval/2013/09/17/obama-netanyahu-israel-iran-syria/2824761/

Obama will set things right.

[geek tragedy]

5. Bibi thought all those years of trying to undermine and humiliate

Obama and thumb his nose at us over settlements wouldn't have a price.

Oops.

[Ash_F]

6. "There's not enough time!!!!!" /nt

[Benton D Struckcheon]

7. Figured this would happen

Followed Rouhani on Twitter as soon as he was elected. He is obviously looking to get Iran out of the corner it's in.
Which, now that I'm thinking about it, may also explain Putin, not just Bibi: maybe he's hanging so desperately onto Syria because if Rouhani and Obama get to hashing things out, even Iran may no longer be a firm ally of Russia. Interesting times...

[arewenotdemo]

8. With Libya down, O only needs to prevail in his war against Syria

to top W when it comes to the neocon "hit list".

He said: “Sir, it’s worse than that. He said – he pulled up a piece of paper off his desk – he said: “I just got this memo from the Secretary of Defense’s office. It says we’re going to attack and destroy the governments in 7 countries in five years – we’re going to start with Iraq, and then we’re going to move to Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Iran.”

http://www.salon.com/2011/11/26/wes_clark_and_the_neocon_dream/

[David__77]

9. There is greater basis for an Israel-Iran de facto peace than many think.

The surge in salafist anti-Shiite sectarianism has laid good foundations for a de facto peace between Iran and its allies and the State of Israel.

[oberliner]

11. Current Israeli PM does not seem especially receptive to such a concept

Perhaps with a change of leadership there as well.

[Kolesar]

10. Iran is seeking a "swift agreement" over its nuclear program with the goal of ending sanctions

The New York Times reported on Friday that Iran is seeking a "swift agreement" over its nuclear program with the goal of ending sanctions that have devastated its economy.

Josh Earnest, the deputy White House spokesman, responding to that story, said the White House welcomed the new tone from Tehran after Rouhani's election in June and said sanctions had had their desired effect.

"These sanctions have tightened around the Iranian regime, further isolated them from the international community, taken a significant toll on their economy and put pressure on them to come back to the bargaining table," he said.