In the past, Iranian nuclear talks have had to be extended repeatedly, as the early deadlines were woefully over-optimistic about the speed with which a complicated deal’s terms could be finalized. Those extensions were 3-6 months, which is what was expected this time around when today’s deadline was reached.
Instead, the talks were simply extended a week, to July 7, which lends weight to reports in recent days that a major breakthrough on the talks is in fact close. While it doesn’t necessarily mean July 7 is a firmer deadline, that they moved the bar out so little suggests something significant is close.
Western officials are also confirming, once again, that Iran has met the terms of another interim agreement, this time related to the size of its low-enriched uranium stockpile. The formal IAEA report to that effect is expected in the coming days.
At the same time, the Obama Administration sought to reassure hawks who oppose the nuclear deal in the wake of the latest extension, declaring that the US could “walk away” from the talks at any time if it wanted to, and would do so if Iran doesn’t give them what they want.
Such threats are almost certainly idle, but the US has been keen, whenever a deadline is close, to start trying to play hard ball, even as it becomes increasingly apparent they’re going to have to add to the timeline.
Obama outs himself yet again as a spineless mollusc easier on threats, unhinged, idle or otherwise than on promoting peace and hope. Film at 11.
The Munich agreement was a piece of paper intended to prevent a war. Much maligned by hindsight, Britain and France had no alternative but to make this desperate attempt to avoid war. The people of France and Britain knew the consequences of war. The widows and orphans were everywhere. The hideously disfigured and crippled were in every town and village. No politician was able to start a new war without trying every other alternative first.
Today, most people in the west have no experience of the consequences of war. The depth of commitment is a yellow ribbon on the minivan. Obama and Congress will start a war due to the absence of a piece of paper. Most Americans will continue comfortable in the knowledge that somebody else's kids will be doing the killing and dying.
When this goes wrong, as it almost certainly will, the ruling class will all confess they were secretly opposed to the idea and move on to some other project. The dead and injured, and the lives ruined, will become "talking points". How many of the warrior/hero's filling VA hospitals wish they had had taken the job at Walmart instead?
"The depth of commitment is a yellow ribbon on the minivan."
Bingo!!!! I actually stopped an elderly fellow in the parking lot of a "super center" in Florida in 2006. He was driving this Buick with this yellow ribbon labeled with "Support Our Troops" on the trunk lid. So, I asked him, as he got out of the car, if he was a veteran. No, he responded but he went on to say he supported the troops because they keep us free. Not rising to the bait, I asked him how he supported the troops. He asked me what it was to me. I stated that I was a vet and that I felt the troops were being used as cannon fodder for the MIC and that most Americans don't realize that the way they should be "supporting the troops" would be to get them the hell out of the desert and bring them home to their families. He told me to go phuk myself.
He never answered the question as to how he supported the troops. I suspect his support entailed voting for those who send the troops off to die far from home.
Each and every time there is a deal USG+1 brings another demand on the table, that shows their dishonesty negotiating. Each and every time Iranian meeting these unproductive and unrealistic demands they come up with yet another ridicules demands. We said it long time ago, Iran should pack up and leave these non productive meetings and do whatever they see deemed for the Iranian people. No one wants war but if these regimes, including Saudis, the very good friends of Israel, or Israeli or NATO to USG wants to attack Iran, we'll let them do it, they will feel the pinch, result of such stupidity later, as they have in last two decades with their war in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, the Isis and etc.