PrintJanuary 4, 2010
Predictable response from Iran to Obama's hedging of New Year's deadline
Well, I guess we shouldn't be surprised by this. Michael Theodoulou writing in The National:
Iran claimed yesterday that the West had given it another month to accept a United Nations-brokered nuclear deal - as Tehran defiantly set its own end-of-January deadline for world powers to agree to its already rejected counter proposals. Trumpeting Iran's hardened stance with confidence, Manouchehr Mottaki, the foreign minister, warned that the Islamic republic would otherwise start producing more highly enriched uranium to fuel a Tehran medical research reactor. "This is an ultimatum," he proclaimed.
In Obama's fantasyland, this is a sign of progress. As long as Iran leaves the door open a crack, the administration sees that as a chance to get concessions from Iran.
Perhaps someone might want to list all the concessions Iran has made since this "engagement" started. You may have some trouble doing so because all we've gotten from the mullahs have been the back of their hand. They have ridiculed, spat upon, and summarily rejected every single overture made by Obama, the UN, and our allies. But knowing their adversary, the Iranians always leave a sliver of hope in their rejections. And like a drowning man reaching for a life preserver, Obama grasps the mirage believing he is not being taken for a ride by Tehran.
