The Diplomacy of Impotence

They didn’t listen, even long enough to learn from Clinton having been duped by the NorKs. Now the Iranians are going to resume refinement and hint at not enriching Uranium, but:

Reuters:

«The Islamic Republic issued a Sunday deadline for the EU to submit its plans for the economic and political incentives it would provide in return for Iran's indefinite suspension of uranium enrichment, nuclear fuel reprocessing and related activities.

But the British Foreign Office said the EU, represented by Britain, France and Germany, had informed Iran only that "full and detailed proposals" would be delivered in a week.

The conversion plant near the central city of Isfahan takes processed uranium ore, mined in Iran's central desert, and turns it into uranium hexafluoride gas. This gas can be pumped into centrifuges that spin at supersonic speed to enrich uranium. »

Even the New York Times, in all it’s wishful thinking, takes the statement at face value, and little else:

«The three powers are scheduled to offer Iran a package of economic, political and security, as well as technological incentives by Monday. But Iran had warned that no incentive could persuade it to quit its uranium enrichment program, even though it has voluntarily suspended the operation for now.

The Uranium Conversion Facility near the city of Isfahan turns uranium ore, known as yellowcake, into gas. The gas can later be fed into centrifuges and enriched to be used as fuel in nuclear plants or, if highly enriched, can be used for making nuclear weapons. Iran said it would keep the nuclear site in Natanz where the centrifuges are kept under suspension.»

Of course not. They’re just starting up their program again in order to NOT enrich Uranium!

Reuters again:

« The EU3 is due to offer Iran some economic and political incentives in return for an indefinite suspension of uranium enrichment, nuclear fuel reprocessing and related activities.

If Iran does not comply, the EU has threatened to back calls by the United States for the Islamic Republic to be reported to the United Nations Security Council and face possible sanctions.»

So it looks like the Iranians have the North Korean nuclear blackmail routine down pat. They’ve also found a willing punter in the “EU3” who will, at most, refer the whole thing to a UN dominated by tin pot governments in the General Assembly if they get a black eye.

It’s a good thing that they can give the Chechens, once and future Bosniacs, a “nuclear option”, eh?