Iran’s Ahmadinejad: We’re Ready to Talk to U.S.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, said yesterday that he is willing and ready to talk to the United States. That is, as long as negotiations take place “in a fair atmosphere with mutual respect.”
President Obama promised progressive Americans he would talk to Iran, without any preconditions. He was criticized severely for this by Democrats like Hillary Clinton and, of course, by Republicans. Many considered his willingness to talk to the extremists in charge of the country formerly known as Persia naive.
The issue even almost cost him the nomination after the Clinton campaign produced an ad in which a young girl is shown while the world is on the brink of destruction. The phone rings; who do you want answering the phone, the inexperience naive idealist or the experienced, pragmatist?
Talking to Iran has to produce positive results rather fast; if it takes many months before Iran is willing to compromise on any important issue, or worse if it’s unwilling to do so, Obama will be faced with severe criticism at home. Hawks, especially Republicans, realize that Obama’s main weakness is his strong belief in diplomacy. If diplomacy doesn’t produce, he’ll be portrayed as weak – which may very well cost him reelection in 2012 if more international crisis occur under his watch.
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Obama’s critics are wrong on this on. Diplomacy is always a good idea, particularly if one is willing to walk away. The U.S. has nothing to lose by talking to Iran – unless we give away more than we get in return.