Iran plays trump card in standoff vs. West

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1107AP_Iran_Trump_Card.html

CAIRO, Egypt -- Iran's president threw a deft trump card into his standoff with the West when he dispatched a letter to President Bush proposing "new solutions" - a diplomatic overture that complicates U.S. hopes for sanctions to punish the Islamic regime.

While Mahmoud Ahmadinejad did not disclose what he wrote to the American leader, the letter's very existence appeared to offer Russia and China handy additional justification to block the U.S. sanctions drive while diplomatic channels remained open. Both countries hold U.N. Security Council vetoes and already were vehemently opposed to sanctions.

Mark Fitzpatrick, of the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, called Ahmadinejad's move "an astute negotiating ploy."

"It's harder for the Americans to get 15 votes (a unanimous result) in the Security Council if they are seen as not willing to talk to the Iranians," the former State Department official said.

ace.

into saber rattling only to have the "kinder, gentler" Ahmadinejad suddenly appear.

With no experienced diplomats among the top leaders, nobody saw it coming. And, now, they're scrambling to "spin" their way out, instead of using this as an opening to dialog. MKJ

especially if you don't really want to

http://www.swissinfo.org/eng/swissinfo.html?siteSect=142


May 8, 2006 - 3:41 PM
Ahmadinejad sends letter to Bush

By Parisa HafeziTEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran's president sent an unprecedented letter to U.S. President George W. Bush on Monday, but it was...


May 8, 2006 - 4:38 PM
White House unaware of Iranian letter

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House is unaware of any letter from Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad attempting to ease mounting...


May 8, 2006 - 6:09 PM
U.S. says letter from Iran may be timed for U.N. debate

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. intelligence chief John Negroponte said on Monday a letter Iran sent to President George W. Bush over its...

We're now seeing another consequence of a White House populated with special needs kids: any semicompetent politican can run circles around them. Ahmadinejad has taken control of the debate and will continue to wrongfoot the Shrub junta, as they posture around spouting 'fightin' words' they learned from John Wayne movies. On the world stage, Bush is going to be made to look more of an idiot than ever before.

IN less than a week, we will hear the phrase "The United States does not negotiate with terruhists. Bring em on!!"

MKJ

read it live on tv.

fella who is done evil. He's an evil man who will not hesitate to do evil things in an evil way. Evil cannot stand Freedom, and evil cannot stand to be free. Freedom cannot stand evil and freedom cannot be free while evil is allowed to be evil. Freedom from terruh is the best way to free evil from its evilness. The united states and its brave allies will continue to spread freedom across the sands of evil. Good night, and may almighty God continue to bless the united states.

Hey! He never read the godammned letter!!

of negotiating value in the letter....Iran is actually opening the doors for dialog and the administration turns it's back.....