"Negotiating" with the Mullahs in Iran
Jean Francois-Poncet, former Foreign Minister of France, states in the International Herald Tribune his case for negotiating (read: giving in to blackmail) with the mullahs of Iran. He cites his belief that Iran really just wants economic freedom and the nuclear blackmail is essentially a ruse to achieve its ends.
He also cites Nobel Prize winner Shirin Ebadi as someone who has "warned" Washington against any use of force in Iran. This is the same Ebadi who claims to strive for human rights everywhere, but was opposed in granting it for her Iraqi neighbors. (I wonder what Iraqi citizens think of her?) She also claimed that the U.S. attacked Afghanistan "with the excuse of ousting the Taliaban." I suppose we should expect nothing less from a Nobel Prize winner - with Arafat and Annan, she's in the good company of anti-Americanism.
Monsieur Francois-Poncet then states that "If they fail, which is entirely possible, the Europeans will willingly rally around sanctions." 1) While I would like to believe him, I heard this statement prior to Resolution 1441 in Iraq - and it was his country that decided not to hold true to its word. 2) By the time Europe concedes that its approach has failed, we will have a nuclear-armed Iran.
I believe we tried this strategy about a decade ago on the Asian peninsula - and the result is a nuclear-armed North Korea. I believe that the U.S. has learned its lesson on how to deal with a potential nuclear threat - France and Europe clearly have not.
He also cites Nobel Prize winner Shirin Ebadi as someone who has "warned" Washington against any use of force in Iran. This is the same Ebadi who claims to strive for human rights everywhere, but was opposed in granting it for her Iraqi neighbors. (I wonder what Iraqi citizens think of her?) She also claimed that the U.S. attacked Afghanistan "with the excuse of ousting the Taliaban." I suppose we should expect nothing less from a Nobel Prize winner - with Arafat and Annan, she's in the good company of anti-Americanism.
Monsieur Francois-Poncet then states that "If they fail, which is entirely possible, the Europeans will willingly rally around sanctions." 1) While I would like to believe him, I heard this statement prior to Resolution 1441 in Iraq - and it was his country that decided not to hold true to its word. 2) By the time Europe concedes that its approach has failed, we will have a nuclear-armed Iran.
I believe we tried this strategy about a decade ago on the Asian peninsula - and the result is a nuclear-armed North Korea. I believe that the U.S. has learned its lesson on how to deal with a potential nuclear threat - France and Europe clearly have not.
posted by Richie Rich | 8:44 AM
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