IRAN & "REASONABLE" OFFERS

Mein Gott! I can't believe that Bush is doing exactly what I predicted. I guess this is phase two of the Operation Iran Liberation project. Here's what I said on June 7:

"However, the Iranians are not going to accept the deal and Bush and Rice and everyone involved knows they aren’t going to accept it. The whole point of this–the con job I referred to earlier–is that when the Iranians inevitably do refuse the deal, that will be the next anti-Iran talking point. We’re reasonable and they aren’t. The security council offered them this sweet deal and they refused it. So we have to bomb and/or invade."

Here's what Bush said today:

"I've a message for the Iranian regime: America and our partners are united. We have presented a reasonable offer. Iran's leaders should see our proposal for what it is -- an historic opportunity to set their country on a better course. If Iran's leaders want peace and prosperity and a more hopeful future for their people, they should accept our offer, abandon any ambitions to obtain nuclear weapons, and come into compliance with their international obligations."

We know that Iran's supreme leader has already said that Iran will not "back down" from obtaining nuclear technology:

"Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed Thursday that Iran would never back down on its nuclear program and dismissed the threat of U.N. Security Council sanctions.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran will not succumb to these pressures," state television quoted Khamenei as saying.

Speaking to Iranian nuclear experts in Tehran, Khamenei said the development of nuclear technology was more important than oil extraction _ the source of about 80 percent of Iran's foreign exchange.

"Let me tell you, the importance of achieving and using nuclear energy is higher than oil exploration for our country," Khamenei said."

Of course, Iranian President Ahmadenijad has said that the U.S. offer is encouraging, but that's because he's "good cop" to Khamenei's "bad cop." And Khamenei is the one who will ultimately make the decision about the West's offer.

If I Were Iran

If I were Iran, I would not accept this offer. If you were Iran, you would not accept this offer. So why should anyone expect Iran to take this offer?

As far as I can tell, the details of the offer are still secret, though leaks (surely selective and official to put the offer in the best light in the Western press) have told us that the U.S. is offering "some nuclear technology." That's because this offer is a trap to turn world opinion against Iran so that the U.S. can make a case for invasion.

Don't be surprised when the Iranians refuse the deal and are demonized by both Republicans and Democrats, liberals and conservatives, and support--or lack thereof--for an Iranian invasion becomes an issue in the November midterm elections. Which are already decided in favor of Republicans, by the way, but they've got to demonize the Democrats and the antiwar position even more so that when they do steal the midterms with the electronic machines, they'll have even more cover to deregulate, de-democratize, and privatize the U.S.

I know it sounds crazy, but it's already been happening with the supposed "free and democratic Iraq." That's how the president described that country in his address that I linked to above. If Iraq is "free and democratic" and that's supposedly the whole reason we went there, why haven't we left yet?

Perhaps because they want to use Iraq as a base to topple that country's next-door neighbor? That would be my guess...