Holding Out Hope on Iran

While the European trio of France, Germany and Great Britain have been apparently continuing negotiations with Iran regarding their nuclear ambitions, the news of progress has been quite limited. After all, the EU3 initially began negotiations with Iran in November of 2003, after what the Atomic Energy Agency referred to as a policy of concealment.

These negotiations have resulted in two agreements thus far. In October of 2003, Iran agreed to suspend fuel-cycle related activities at certain sites. Iran has signed, but not enacted this agreement. The question of why does it take so long for ratification was muted by their activities which the EU3 felt violated the spirit of the agreement. This was followed by more negotiations, which led to the November 2004 agreement. Apparently this later agreement essentially improved the language of the first.

As part of these ongoing negotiations, the EU3 also offered what could be termed a “unilateral” carrot by offering to usher Iran’s reinstatement into the World Trade Organization. Iran eventually declared it would end it’s suspension of activities outlined in the 2004 agreement, before reinstating the suspension…around and around we go. The United States, and the Bush Administration has been on the sidelines during all of this diplomacy.

Fast forward to this February…President Bush met Gerhard Schroeder in Mainz where they advertised a unified front; both proclaiming that Iran must not maintain the potential for developing nuclear weaponry. "It's vital that the Iranians hear the world speak with one voice that they shouldn't have a nuclear weapon," Bush said at a news conference with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. "We absolutely agree that Iran must say no to any kind of nuclear weapon," Schroeder said. This sounded like coordinated diplomacy.

The importance of a carrot and stick attitude toward Iran was also highlighted during Bush’s meetings in Mainz. Yesterday, I saw the following headline on Expatica: “Bush won't compromise on Iran nuclear issue.”

The article continued: "Our policy is to prevent them from having the capacity to develop - enrich - uranium to the point where they are able to make a nuclear weapon," Bush told reporters at a news conference in the White House Rose Garden. He said the US recently agreed to allow Iran to apply for membership in the World Trade Organization "to facilitate the EU-3 discussions with Iran".

Given the fact the official US policy prior to the Mainz visit had been one of only sticks; no carrots, why does President Bush continue to get no credit for this compromise? He has acquiesced regarding the carrot that the EU3 had unilaterally offered Iran in 2004, but he will continue to be painted with a certain brush. Can we stop with the Bush-bashing long enough to acknowledge that he has given the trio exactly what they had indicated was absolutely necessary for their final diplomatic resolution (access to the WTO)?

Of course, we look forward to the successful (and peaceful) resolution of this issue.