Radio France Internationale – Analysis US-Iran Nuclear Negotiations
RFI: The United Status surprised many around the world when it announced that a high level official of the US State Department will for the first time attend international negotiations with Iran this coming weekend.
The Under Secretary of State William Burns will attend, along with top European Union diplomat Javier Solana, a planned meeting with the principal Iranian nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili Saturday in Geneva.
The objective of these contacts, other participants include France, Great Britain, Germany, Russia and China, is that Iran abandon its nuclear program which the West charges is for making atomic weapons.
Until now Washington rejected directly attending talks while Iran engaged in uranium enrichment. The participation of Burns represents a change. A change which has diverse explanations, according to Grant Smith, Director of the IRmep, a center of independent analysis headquartered in Washington.
RFI: How large and significant is this change. Does it represent a change in policy or a change in White House strategy?
Grant Smith: It is a forced change. We’ve seen Iran become very explicit about responding to threats: they will not accept a limited attack or an air raid, without burning down the entire region. They are now militarily committed to suspending all traffic in the Gulf. So it is now very clear that there is no way to incrementally raise the pressure on Iran with limited military strikes.
So Bush has two real options. Authorize a massive military attack comprised of forces much larger than he committed to Iraq, or return to the negotiating table. At this moment, they are opening maneuvering room, again for the first time, for the diplomatic option. It is because they have no other options. If they don’t want to see petroleum reach a thousand dollars per barrel and see refining and transport infrastructure in the Gulf destroyed then they basically must sit down and talk. More
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