Just Keep Talking...

The Iranian Nuclear Saga enters its latest chapter today as France, Britain, Germany and the USA began talks concerning the imposition of a fourth round of trade sanctions on Iran, in order to force it to stop uranium enrichment. Russia and China have not been invited to the talks, on the assumption that they will only contribute smug grins and akimbo intransigence. A USA State Department spokesman, Sean McCormack, has stated that he 'would not set expectations high at all for this meeting actually producing a definitive answer', which begs a few questions. The talks offer trade bonuses if Iran cooperates, as well as sanctions if it fails to comply. 

An IAEA report earlier this week complained that the Iranian authorities had 'stonewalled' their efforts to determine whether Iran's nuclear program was for civilian or military purposes. Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, of course, maintains that the IAEA investigation was unobstructed, and that the nuclear program has only ever been for civilian use. The talks are about putting more pressure on Ahmedinejad, already unpopular in Iran. Using the UN to put pressure on recalcitrant states is much more effective than the unilateral, gunpowder-flavoured pressure the USA usually prefers. Iran is being presented with a choice between being brought into the international community and participating in talks, or remaining a pariah, however unjustifiably. The USA's refusal to engage Iran in talks until uranium enrichment is halted is a good thing. No one should deny Iran the right to civilian nuclear power, but it must be willing to take whatever steps necessary to assuage a rightly nervous world. Evidently the USA has better people working in New York than in Washington.