Terrorists blur into freedom fighters By Brian M Downing

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http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/NE18Ak01.html


Tensions between Iran on the one hand and the United States and Israel have eased substantially since war loomed just a few weeks ago.

Israeli politicians, generals and security experts have openly expressed opposition to attacking Iran. More recently, the hawkish coalition in power has brought in the Kadima party, a large moderate bloc whose leaders also oppose such a strike. The P5+1 talks - which include Britain, China, France, Russia, and the US plus Germany - on Iran's nuclear program are scheduled to begin in Baghdad next week in this calmer atmosphere.

The Barack Obama administration has refused to support Israel's "red line" of continued uranium enrichment, which would lead to



an Israeli attack. Obama has presented a less restrictive red line of an actual weapons program, which would lead to an American attack.

Foreign powers should act to nudge Iran into accepting the US red line, which after all offers Tehran a victory of sorts over Israeli demands and threats. Unfortunately, neither the US nor the Sunni Gulf powers are obliging and this could adversely affect impending talks and political dynamics in Tehran as well.