Western leaders shocked, shocked as Iran plays games on enrichment
posted at 12:46 pm on October 27, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
Iranian mullahs not serious about ending nuclear proliferation? The deuce you say! Western leaders find themselves shocked, shocked that the Iranians now want an agreement already reached in principle reworked, in a move that would only surprise those who have been in a coma for the last ten years:
Iran will seek “important changes” in a U.N.-drafted plan to ship enriched uranium out of the country for processing, state TV reported on Tuesday, raising alarm bells among Western leaders who are pushing the deal in hopes of easing concerns over Iran’s nuclear program.
The TV report said Iran would agree to the “general framework” of the plan but also request unspecified changes. That suggests Tehran will accept the idea of sending the uranium abroad — something it had previously appeared reluctant to do — but that there could be a tussle with the U.S. and Europe over how it will be sent and how much.
France’s foreign minister expressed exasperation with Tehran, saying it is trying to have the proposal “thoroughly reworked.” Bernard Kouchner said he doesn’t think the plan needs dramatic changes and warned Iran, “It cannot take forever. We wait for answers.”
The plan was formalized by the United Nations last week after talks between Iran and the United States, Russia and France. It calls for Iran to ship 70 percent of its enriched uranium abroad for further enrichment. The U.S. and its allies back the deal because it would at least temporarily leave Iran’s uranium stockpiles too low to build a nuclear weapon. Iran denies any intention to develop a bomb.
Somewhere in Tehran, a conclave of mullahs are having a good laugh on the West. “Let’s see how many of them wave their little scraps of paper in the air,” one of them will say, while another suggests, “Perhaps we should have supplied them with umbrellas, too!”
This dodge has a long and utterly predictable dynamic in negotiations between totalitarian states and democracies hoping above all else to avoid confronting them. Make an agreement, then demand fundamental changes after the leaders have already declared it a victory for peace and understanding. That forces the leaders of democracies into further concessions to protect their standing at home and to keep the obvious failure of their approach from being seen all at once.
Unfortunately, most of us have seen how this story ends. While the Western states all chase their own tails to get Iran to agree to anything, Tehran will build its bombs and strike out at its enemies, starting with Israel, secure in the knowledge that their nuclear capability will keep them safe from any other attack. Until then, we’ll give these Western leaders a Captain Louis Renault Award, with a special Neville Chamberlain umbrella cluster:
Blowback
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Color me shocked as well.
:-)
HawaiiLwyr on October 27, 2009 at 12:49 PM
Decapitation strike. Enough pussyfooting around.
OhioCoastie on October 27, 2009 at 12:49 PM
Stall, stall, stall.
Shocked, shocked, shocked.
Atomic table tennis for the terminally imbecilic.
profitsbeard on October 27, 2009 at 12:49 PM
Whatever happened to that two week deadline that Obama gave Iran?
blink on October 27, 2009 at 12:49 PM
Shockingly shocking!
farright on October 27, 2009 at 12:50 PM
Time for a decapitation strike.
OhioCoastie on October 27, 2009 at 12:50 PM
Wait…
oh is that what shocked feels like concernign iran.
Hmm SSDD.
upinak on October 27, 2009 at 12:51 PM
Obama uses an atomic clock.
It keeps a different kind of time.
profitsbeard on October 27, 2009 at 12:52 PM
Sorry ’bout the double post. BlackBerry’s lagging.
OhioCoastie on October 27, 2009 at 12:52 PM
How would Iran answer this question:
Do Western leaders fear a nuclear Iran more than attacking Iran?
WashJeff on October 27, 2009 at 12:52 PM
Why is the West playing Wile E. Coyote Irans’ Road Runner?
jacrews on October 27, 2009 at 12:52 PM
Solution: Covert op – have a gay black man emerge from an Iranian well and declare that Israel and Iran must live in peace.
/
faraway on October 27, 2009 at 12:52 PM
How could ANYONE (add echo effect here) have seen this happening?
Barry?
Hillary?
Bueller?
44Magnum on October 27, 2009 at 12:52 PM
That’s the scary thing, maybe they don’t think they have to worry about the consequences of attacking Israel or anywhere else.
OT: Anybody know where one can buy a good Geiger counter?
Juno77 on October 27, 2009 at 12:52 PM
I say we take off and nuke em from orbit. Only way to be sure.
lorien1973 on October 27, 2009 at 12:53 PM
Well, I’m sure Obama will come to the conclusion that the solution is conversion and vaporization of Israel.
Standby for another television appearance.
darwin on October 27, 2009 at 12:54 PM
jimmy2shoes on October 27, 2009 at 12:55 PM
Well if they are so shocked about this revelation, then my question is – Why did they have their heads down in the hole in the first place?. or politically correct version would be *up them donkeys*
hawkman on October 27, 2009 at 12:55 PM
The Cairo Speech not as effective as advertised.
Maybe Ogabe should offer to build a few golf courses in Tehran if they back off their nuke ambitions.
Bishop on October 27, 2009 at 12:55 PM
Transformative.
LibTired on October 27, 2009 at 12:56 PM
And then depart the scene in a weather balloon.
WashJeff on October 27, 2009 at 12:58 PM
Time for another strongly worded letter from Mr. International.
ICBM on October 27, 2009 at 12:58 PM
Despicable, smarmy, weakneed, marxist……. Dedicated to the downfall of the Country.
ultracon on October 27, 2009 at 12:58 PM
After he’s done golfing, Barry should fly right over there and show everyone the same kind of leadership we’ve been seeing from him through his presidency. That should do it. Also, it would put off making the Afghanistan troop decision for a couple of more weeks.
Loxodonta on October 27, 2009 at 12:59 PM
Obama’s spin: See! I told you they would negotiate if we just stopped threatening them….smart power.
BobMbx on October 27, 2009 at 1:00 PM
It’s difficult to believe that Obama and his listless friends in the U.N. are really this stupid . . . but, it appears that they are.
rplat on October 27, 2009 at 1:00 PM
Where is our SecState these days? Hiding behind her own skirts? Doh! Oh wait! I mean pants……
ultracon on October 27, 2009 at 1:00 PM
Even when the Pentagon gets those mega-bunkerbusters, does anyone actually think that Obama would authorize their premeditated use?
uknowmorethanme on October 27, 2009 at 1:00 PM
Why is it that “Western leaders” seem so intent to ignore the 800lb gorilla in the room? It is international dithering.
highhopes on October 27, 2009 at 1:01 PM
This Smart Power is working perfectly. //
~B
Brian on October 27, 2009 at 1:01 PM
I though Tehran had been put on notice? What comes after being put on notice? Time out? Go to your room? Grounding? No ice cream after dinner?
j_galt on October 27, 2009 at 1:01 PM
What, exactly would be an un-premeditated use of a bunkerbuster?
highhopes on October 27, 2009 at 1:02 PM
After you get put on notice, you either get a verbal or written warning.
uknowmorethanme on October 27, 2009 at 1:03 PM
No Spongebob for thirty minutes.
jimmy2shoes on October 27, 2009 at 1:03 PM
Dropping it without a plan for the aftermath.
uknowmorethanme on October 27, 2009 at 1:05 PM
Dropping a bunkerbuster like a drive-by? Would that be your plan? What if the target is a decoy? Is your intelligence concrete?
In other words, do you know what your doing before and after the drop.
uknowmorethanme on October 27, 2009 at 1:07 PM
Dick Cheney wasn’t shocked.
Too bad he is pureevildevilmanburnburnburnhatehimmorethanBush…
Hieronymus on October 27, 2009 at 1:08 PM
Maybe they just need more time to consider their options……
44Magnum on October 27, 2009 at 1:10 PM
Perhaps the only coherent statement to come out of John McCain’s mouth: “Bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran”
Wine_N_Dine on October 27, 2009 at 1:11 PM
Now that I think about it, you are just being a smartass. Because you think you’re smarter than other people. We have enough elitists in the world already.
uknowmorethanme on October 27, 2009 at 1:12 PM
Un-premeditated would be “Ooops I put my coffee cup down on the button and WHOOSH, bombs away”
Wine_N_Dine on October 27, 2009 at 1:14 PM
The ostrich defense of ‘not knowing’ is plausible deniability for not doing (anything beyond talking).
Yephora on October 27, 2009 at 1:14 PM
Time for a reality check.
1. Iran seems willing to ship 70% of its EU abroad for further enrichment? Uh….then what? They get it back? To load up their nuclear warheads or what? Isn’t the danger to the world the mere fact that they have access to fissile material? “Hey you guys…we can’t have you enriching uranium that can be used for nuclear weapons (or dirty bombs either); no, let us do that for you. ” Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t that what this agreement does?
2. Why on earth is the US even participating in transporting virgin fissile material around the globe and back to Iran, when those same folks are adamantly against shipping our own nuclear waste to a purpose-built, secure storage facility right here in the USA? This is just nuts.
BobMbx on October 27, 2009 at 1:15 PM
The west’s ostrich defense of ‘not knowing’ is plausible deniability for not doing (anything beyond talking).
Yephora on October 27, 2009 at 1:15 PM
President Pantywaist’s gonna get right on it. After health care reform. And card check, of course. And cap & trade. And whining about Fox News. And the 2020 Olympics. And Afghanistan (maybe).
OhioCoastie on October 27, 2009 at 1:16 PM
ditto
cmsinaz on October 27, 2009 at 1:17 PM
If Odumbo would lose the keys to Air Force One and get into the oval office and do some work he may have a solution.
rjoco1 on October 27, 2009 at 1:18 PM
Forget all that! After this next round of golf!
Wine_N_Dine on October 27, 2009 at 1:18 PM
I don’t know about any of you [but I can guess .. ], but this lethal variant of ‘Ground Hog Day’ is getting very, very old.
If this is some clever scheme to get the Iranian leadership to laugh themselves to death, it ain’t working.
Time for Plan C: A Composition-B enhanced fireworks display at the next soonest ‘Death to America’ post-prayer rally. I nominate the IRGC HQ and Secret Police HQ as the prize winners.
Question: can you stuff a couple of MOAB’s in a B-2?
CPT. Charles on October 27, 2009 at 1:20 PM
How do these folks rationalize the fact that they look like the biggest boobs going?
Cindy Munford on October 27, 2009 at 1:20 PM
This episode of “shocked” would be funny if the stakes weren’t so high. But they are, so it isn’t. I for one do not look forward to being blackmailed by the Ayatollah.
jwolf on October 27, 2009 at 1:21 PM
Pretty good quote there. LOL.
Subsunk
Subsunk on October 27, 2009 at 1:21 PM
I trust the Israelis will do the right thing. For most of our politicians its all a board game called Risk. For the Israelis it is life or death.
patrick neid on October 27, 2009 at 1:22 PM
Logic gets us nowhere Bob. And the lack of logic has gotten liberals to all the BEST parties, hasn’t it?
Time to put them all in one place and lob a hand grenade or nuke in with them. Let them sort out what to do with dangerous objects.
Subsunk
Subsunk on October 27, 2009 at 1:23 PM
No. Physically too big. I believe they designed for air drop from C-130s (Hercules) and larger cargo aircraft, like the BLU-82 (Daisy cutter).
However, the MOAB was a demonstrator. We have better stuff now…think MOAB with a penetration capability of ~200′.
That’s the stuff of earthquake magnitude.
BobMbx on October 27, 2009 at 1:27 PM
Not to worry…Iran will sign some compromise deal and the press will say what a genius Obama is. Israel will be forced to take action and the world will unite in their hatred of Israel. Time will trickle on and eventually the problem will be in the Republican’s hands, as the U.S. continues to put-put along on its rudderless ship. Pathetic.
Halli Casser-Jayne
http://www.thecjpoliticalreport.com
The CJ Political Report on October 27, 2009 at 1:29 PM
Unleash a strong “Tut, Tut” at them Mr. President. I know it seems harsh but they have earned it.
Mason on October 27, 2009 at 1:29 PM
Something else to ponder:
http://frontpagemag.com/2009/10/27/turkey-an-ally-no-more-by-daniel-pipes/
Does this finally answer the question as to who’s been fueling/funding the AK Party and the fundamentalist shift within ‘secular’ Turkey?
Pray Pipes is wrong.
CPT. Charles on October 27, 2009 at 1:30 PM
Let’s reword, since the bright minds at HA wanted to focus on my choice of adjectives rather than my point.
Does anyone think that Obama would spend the time to come up with a complete strategy for possible war with Iran? Because that’s what would happen if you just dropped the bomb on some random bunker (they allegedly have multiple sites) that may or may not contain equipment and material for making weapons-grade uranium. Would Obama actually authorize war?
uknowmorethanme on October 27, 2009 at 1:32 PM
I kinda thought so.
Well, we’ve still got the BUFF’s.
CPT. Charles on October 27, 2009 at 1:34 PM
He is ABSOLUTELY RIGHT…Turkey has left the west, and joined IRAN.
right4life on October 27, 2009 at 1:36 PM
Hillary did see this coming.
The DNC wanted to be able to yell RACIST at every opportunity instead of letting her get elected.
deadenders on October 27, 2009 at 1:36 PM
MOABs hell, glass parking lot.
donkichi on October 27, 2009 at 1:37 PM
uh wait…could you use some other word besides ‘boobs’??? you’re defaming one of my favorite words, for a couple reasons…
right4life on October 27, 2009 at 1:38 PM
A global rampage by Hezbollah [at Iran's behest] might make that issue ‘moot’.
CPT. Charles on October 27, 2009 at 1:40 PM
yeah I read it in The Book…Iran attacks Israel…pop goes the world.
right4life on October 27, 2009 at 1:41 PM
No he wouldn’t unless he was absolutely sure he could use it to further his socialist agenda and expand his power.
Wine_N_Dine on October 27, 2009 at 1:43 PM
No no, you misunderstood. That was a two weak deadline.
Big John on October 27, 2009 at 1:43 PM
***
France had the nascent Nazi Germany by the “short hair” militarily in the early 1930′s. German generals were scared s**tless when Adolf sent his then weak army into the demilitarized Rhineland in violation of the WW1 Versailles treaty. They knew that if France mobilized and drove into Germany with all they had that it would be the end of Germany.
***
Hitler properly gauged the French political weakness and started the march to the Holocaust and 50 milllion dead. He would have been dead or in prison if France had acted early on. France went to the League of Nations instead and ended up losing their country.
***
Possibly we could get President Obama Neville Chamberlain’s umbrella and he could announce PEACE IN OUR TIME when he comes back from his upcoming apology tour with the mullahs.
***
Like Santayana said, “Those who fail to understand history are condemned to repeat its mistakes.” Deja Vu all over again.
***
John Bibb
***
rocketman on October 27, 2009 at 1:43 PM
SShhh! Ixnay on the ombsba!
Yet a better idea….vaccinate the entire army against the Swine flu, expose them to those that actually have it, then park their collective asses all around the border of Iran….breathing heavily on those that cross the border….let’em know it’s the “swine” flu that’s killing them.
They’ll be so damn busy washing themselves they’ll forget all about everything else….well, almost everything. Gotta get those prayers in….
BobMbx on October 27, 2009 at 1:43 PM
Iran wants da bomb period and with 7th Century barbaric
mentality,with 21St Century Nuke goodies it anin’t gonna
end well!
They have stalled for what,2 or three years now!!UGH!
canopfor on October 27, 2009 at 1:48 PM
Sorry, how about horse’s patoots. Everybody likes horses.
Cindy Munford on October 27, 2009 at 1:49 PM
thank you!! I really like boobs…
right4life on October 27, 2009 at 1:51 PM
Yes, yes, I understand that and that you don’t want them equated with the likes of Mr. Obama. I figured the north end of a southbound horse would work better. .
Cindy Munford on October 27, 2009 at 1:56 PM
thank you….you are a very gracious lady!
right4life on October 27, 2009 at 1:59 PM
Iran is stupid if they send all their uranium out in one batch, especially since they are not required by law or treaty to do anything at all. As Richard Dalton of the UK said:
“It looks to me as a typical device to save Iran’s face to do the thing in stages…If I were a negotiator, I would argue for serious consideration of it.” A staggered approach “would seem to be perfectly rational”
Of course, being rational will certainly invite chants of “bomb them” from the extremists.
dave742 on October 27, 2009 at 2:03 PM
Question: can you stuff a couple of MOAB’s in a B-2?
CPT. Charles on October 27, 2009 at 1:20 PM
CPT.Charles: The newest bomb,is MOP,enjoy!:)
GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP)
Direct Strike Hard Target Weapon
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/mop.htm
canopfor on October 27, 2009 at 2:04 PM
President Dithers to the rescue!
….or not.
atlgal on October 27, 2009 at 2:05 PM
oh of course, the iranians only have the best of intentions at heart, they are just misunderstood by western racists like BOOSH and the conservatives…
supporting Hizbullah for all these decades, taking our embassy workers hostage, blowing up our marines in beirut, sending IEDs to kill our troops in iraq and afghanistan is all OUR FAULT….if we were just nicer to those bloodthirsty bastards..
hope you live in NYC or DC and get to experience the iranian friendship towards us first hand….boom.
right4life on October 27, 2009 at 2:07 PM
Its a tiny country!
-Barack Obama
canopfor on October 27, 2009 at 2:10 PM
If they were at all familiar with the koran, they wouldn’t be the least bit surprised.
islam is a lie and
Truth is killing it.
Army Brat on October 27, 2009 at 2:11 PM
right4life:
None of the things you list have anything to do with Iran having the right to nuclear technology. You bring up the attack in Beirut, but that attack was not Hezbollah, no matter how many times you make the baseless accusation. And if that was a reason to bomb Iran, then why didn’t Reagan do so? Is the correct response to that incident to wait 20 years and then attack them for doing something perfectly legal? You bring up the embassy hostages, but the group that was intimately responsible for taking those hostages is now an ally of the US. So although the group that is intimately responsible for the incident is now our ally, the correct response is to wait 30 years, then attack Iran for doing something perfectly legal? This is not rational.
dave742 on October 27, 2009 at 2:21 PM
and why does Iran have a ‘right’ to nuclear technology? who says?
it wasn’t hizbullah? who was it then???
link
why did he sign amnesty for illegals? he wasn’t perfect.
who says its legal? nations are not bound by ‘legalities’ now are they?
ahmadinajad is our ally? where do you get this delusional stuff at?
do you think it would have been ‘rational’ to attack hitler in 1937? just curious…
right4life on October 27, 2009 at 2:39 PM
link
right4life on October 27, 2009 at 2:41 PM
That’s it, that is all we can take…it is time for Obama to do the right thing. The only thing, the one thing he has regretted to do, but now is forced to concede.
He must issue the dreaded “strongly worded memo”…if that fails, he will have to resort to his “nuclear” option, the “teachable moment” speech.
right2bright on October 27, 2009 at 2:43 PM
Just to set the record straight, it was not amnesty for illegals…without going into details, look at his bill and you will see it was not illegal amnesty. A point that the left wing made, and that the right wing uses…but it is false.
Time to put that rumor to rest…
right2bright on October 27, 2009 at 2:47 PM
Well, I’m looking for my survival books…
Armageddon Time
Peter Robinson, 10.23.09, 12:01 AM EDT
When it comes to Iran, the U.S. may be facing a cataclysm.
http://www.forbes.com/2009/10/22/iran-nuclear-weapons-middle-east-opinions-columnists-peter-robinson.html
lovingmyUSA on October 27, 2009 at 2:51 PM
afraid he did….
link
right4life on October 27, 2009 at 2:56 PM
right2bright:
The NPT
Islamic Jihad
Your link says the story is “according to Iran Focus.” Iran Focus is a front for the MEK. You are quoting a terrorist organization who is intimately responsible for the taking of US hostages and the killing of US citizens and military. I am offended.
I was referring to Iran’s right to nuclear power, which is legal.
The MEK is our ally
Again you are quoting from a website that is run by a group that is responsible for killing US citizens and soldiers, and I am offended. Please stop it.
dave742 on October 27, 2009 at 3:05 PM
Maybe…depends…uh…where,s Joe?
royzer on October 27, 2009 at 3:09 PM
Read the bill, amnesty was never mentioned, never.
It was a comprehensive bill that allowed immigrants, like we have historically, to enter into our system, systematically.
With tests, background checks, English speaking requirements, specific work requirements etc.
I had read the Meese’s report several times, and if you took the time to actually read the bill, you would see the discrepancies. At the time he wrote this he was promoting Bush’s weak amnesty bill.
Where it went wrong was the promise, and a sincere promise of Democrats to pass the bill in stages…they lied. They stripped it of any real policing.
Reagan stated that it was one of the most blatant lies ever told to him, and he learned his lesson, never trust what a democrat promises.
But it was not an amnesty bill, it was a path to becoming a citizen…Reagan wanted the “illegals” to have a path to citizenship, that created responsible loyal American citizens. You may consider it the same, Meese may, but I was one who had sent dozens of my people through classes and paid legal expenses to become legal, and it is nothing like what was proposed by Bush. Meese was just propping up a weak Bush bill.
Next time don’t be so lazy and link an article…take some time and read the bill.
It was an Immigration and Reform bill.
right2bright on October 27, 2009 at 3:26 PM
I have absolutely no idea why you are quoting something I never stated or was ever involved with.
Please, if this is how you do research, post somewhere else. I don’t have a dog in this fight.
I hardly ever respond to you, I think quite frankly you are a fool…proven by this post.
right2bright on October 27, 2009 at 3:29 PM
oh gee a distinction without a difference.
who cares?
what BS. I’m offended by your approval of anti-semitic tyrants and murderers…are you anti-semitic too?
sorry, nuclear power is not a ‘right’ a ‘right’ is only given by God to individuals…not governments.
so our ally is killing us huh? and ahmadinajad was at the embassy during the hostage crisis. you really are a piece of work.
go to hell.
right4life on October 27, 2009 at 3:29 PM
oh please…guess you missed this part of what meese said:
If this sounds familiar, it’s because these are pretty much the same provisions included in the Comprehensive Reform Act of 2006, which its supporters claim is not amnesty. In the end, slight differences in process do not change the overriding fact that the 1986 law and the recent Senate legislation both include an amnesty. The difference is that President Reagan called it for what it was.
but you know better than Meese….right.
right4life on October 27, 2009 at 3:31 PM
STALL! THEN STALL SOME MORE!
GarandFan on October 27, 2009 at 3:39 PM
link
it was Hizbullah…
right4life on October 27, 2009 at 3:40 PM
Adolf Hitler was the best at it. At least he got the west to believe he was sincere, in addition to Neville.
Of course, with Hillary’s little slip last week, it would appear Barry is “not losing sleep over it.” Perhaps the Israelis are, but they won’t wait for Barry.
Starlink on October 27, 2009 at 3:40 PM
right2bright:
I mixed up your name with right4life. Relax. You should have been able to figure this out.
right4life:
They are not the same organization.
Obviously, extremists don’t care about anything like obeying treaties, but most people and most countries do. It is only countries like the US that don’t care. Some call these type of nations “rogue nations.”
Why is me confronting you with your habit of quoting terrorist organizations to support your views “BS”? Don’t you think your views should be supportable by something other than quoting terrorist organizations?
I have no idea what you mean by this. The MEK is supported by the US. The MEK was also intimately responsible for the holding of American hostages, and was directly responsible for killing US citizens and military members. Now you quote websites run by that same group. That’s a weird thing for a patriot to do.
dave742 on October 27, 2009 at 3:47 PM
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