Iran Turns Down Obama Plan (Updated)
[Guest post by DRJ]
In late September, the American media trumpeted President Obama’s success at getting Iran to agree to export most of its enriched uranium so it could be processed for uses other than weapons. In return, Iran was given the chance to buy nuclear fuel from the IAEA for its nuclear reactor(s).
Our European allies were reluctant but Obama forged ahead with the help of IAEA director Mohammed ElBaradei, who arranged to visit Iran to discuss the timing and details. Now Iran announced it wants to have its cake and eat it, too:
“The report indicated that Iran will not meet terms the West said it agreed to — including transferring most of its stock of enriched uranium, the potential base for fissile warhead material. Tehran says it needs enriched uranium for nuclear fuel.
“Buying nuclear fuel from abroad does not mean Iran will stop its uranium enrichment activities inside the country,” Ali Shirzadian, spokesman for Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, told Iran’s official IRNA news agency.
“If the talks do not bring about Iran’s desired result … we will start to make 19.7 percent enriched uranium ourselves,” Shirzadian told Reuters a few hours before the talks were due to start.
The U.S. says Iran is now one to six years away from being able to make such arms, should it choose to.”
Thus Iran has turned the tables on Obama, pushing to buy fuel for its reactor(s) while it continues to enrich its uranium stockpile. So much for Obama’s win-win, let alone his smart diplomacy.
H/T SPQR.
— DRJ
UPDATE — A comment from an Instapundit reader:
“Now we know why Obama turned his back on Iranian protesters. Note that the secret negotiations began in June. What else went on in June in Iran? Oh yeah… those pesky election results protests.”
[The comment continues here.]
They have made a fool of him. It wasn’t that hard.
Mike K (2cf494) — 10/19/2009 @ 8:28 pmA few more wins like this and we, too, will be back in the stone ages.
htom (412a17) — 10/19/2009 @ 8:29 pmThe intensity level of training by the IDF just went up.
AD - RtR/OS! (2f0f4a) — 10/19/2009 @ 8:30 pmMy son and I were watching the Patriots-Titans game Sunday. I turned to him at half-time and said:
“Well, the Titans have them right where they want them.”
It’s an old joke.
We both laughed.
Then, the network switched games.
Ag80 (2a7a2a) — 10/19/2009 @ 8:47 pmNever saw that one coming.
glenn (757adc) — 10/19/2009 @ 8:52 pmI updated the post with a comment from an Instapundit reader.
DRJ (f462b4) — 10/19/2009 @ 8:54 pmmaking a fool of Ear Leader is like making water wet: it’s a done deal….
redc1c4 (fb8750) — 10/19/2009 @ 10:23 pmor is that “no assembly required”?
redc1c4 (fb8750) — 10/19/2009 @ 10:24 pmNeville Chamberlain must be smiling at — grinning from ear to ear — and high-fiving America’s current president.
It will be quite an accomplishment if our feckless leader doesn’t inadvertantly trigger (and one must assume it’s not giving him the benefit of the doubt to say it would be inadvertant) a major security/military crisis in the next few years.
Mark (411533) — 10/20/2009 @ 12:01 amYou cannot let a good crisis go to waste (even if you have to create it first).
John Hitchcock (3fd153) — 10/20/2009 @ 12:43 amWhy should this be surprising? The Russians offered basically the same deal during the Bush admin and the Iranians played it for more time. They’ve turned half-promises and lies into what, at least 15 years now?
Soronel Haetir (795f5a) — 10/20/2009 @ 2:34 amI think if all Democrat politicians were notified that they and their families will be FORCED to walk through each and every ground zero from a terrorist/Iran/North Korean nuclear strike, Obumble will not be kissing up to the terrorists and allowing them any access to uranium or to enrich it.
PCD (1d8b6d) — 10/20/2009 @ 6:32 amThe intensity level of training by the IDF just went up
Not to mention the MOSSAD already beginning special ops programs inside the country.
Dmac (5ddc52) — 10/20/2009 @ 6:43 am…or a few more well – place suicide bomb attacks could do the job just as well (if they’re not already linked, that is).
Dmac (5ddc52) — 10/20/2009 @ 6:44 amDid Barcky’s folks claim this as a success yet?
JD (f8eae0) — 10/20/2009 @ 6:54 amSoronel is right.
This offer to enrich the uranium outside Iran was offered during the Bush term and was hailed then as a breakthrough. The Iranians must think Obama doesn’t know what has been going on for the last eight years.
Come to think of it, a lot of Americans think Obama is clueless too.
MU789 (e19138) — 10/20/2009 @ 3:13 pm