Rice Key to Reversal on Iran--WaPo

[Demeter]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/03/AR2006060300237.html?referrer=email


Rice Key to Reversal on Iran
Expected Failure of International Effort Led to U.S. Turnaround

By Glenn Kessler
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, June 4, 2006; A17



At the end of March, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice flew to Europe and had unusual, one-on-one conversations with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Jacques Chirac and British Prime Minister Tony Blair. She also attended a meeting in Berlin on Iran at which the Russian and Chinese representatives denounced the idea of sanctions to halt Tehran's drive toward a nuclear weapon.

Rice returned to Washington with a sobering message: The international effort to derail Iran's programs was falling apart. Her conclusion spurred a secret discussion among Rice, President Bush, Vice President Cheney and national security adviser Stephen J. Hadley: Should the United States finally agree to join the Europeans at the negotiations with Iran?

Though Bush administration officials had publicly always dismissed that possibility, officials at the highest levels -- including Cheney, frequently but inaccurately portrayed as an adamant foe of joining the talks -- realized that soon the administration would be forced to grapple with the question, five U.S. officials said in interviews last week. Otherwise, the options seemed to either be that Iran would get the bomb or the United States would be drawn into another war.

"We knew it was a card we had to play at some point," one senior official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity, adding that the issue was at what time and under what conditions.

Last Wednesday, Rice made the announcement. The next day, in Vienna, she used the U.S. offer to secure an accord with Russia, China and the Europeans to present Iran with a choice of either inducements to return to negotiations or face action in the Security Council.
....
(followed by mucho puffing up of Condi's power, influence, and importance...WARNING: GROSS ASS-KISSING AND SUCKING UP!!!)

Staff writer Dafna Linzer contributed to this report


AND WHAT THE ANALYSIS DIN'T SAY:
WORLD TO CONDI: DON'T LET THE DOOR HIT YOU ON YOUR WAY OUT! AND DON'T GO AWAY MAD---JUST GO AWAY!

[Kagemusha]

1. Cheney "frequently and inaccurately" portrayed as anti-talks?

Woof woof. Someone's being a good lapdog today.

[LibDemAlways]

2. Condi is an evil neocon in

Jimmy Choo shoes spewing Bush Crime Family bullshit. The entire rest of the world has had enough of this cabal, and Condi has privately been ushered out of more doors than a call girl at a GOP convention.

[madrchsod]

3. since it`s sunday i`ll be nice today

i`d say it`s beyond sucking up..http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/terrorism/july-dec05/policy_12-9.html scroll to second interview i`d say he`s done more than suck up