Iran Nuclear Talks in Geneva: So Far, So Good

According to TIME online, Obama has made some headway with the leaders of Iran. Do they really expect us to buy this nonsense? The Iranians have given a positive response on the meeting. That says it all right there.

Iran Nuclear Talks in Geneva: So Far, So Good
By TONY KARON – Thu Oct 1

President Barack Obama's strategy of engaging Iran finally got under way in earnest on Thursday with a positive response from Tehran to at least some of the concerns about its nuclear program. At a meeting in Geneva with officials from Western powers, Russia and China, Iranian nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili agreed to allow inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to inspect a hitherto secret uranium-enrichment facility under construction near Qum. President Obama and his allies expressed grave concern last week about the site after revelations of its existence, and they made the demand for its inspection a key benchmark of Iran's willingness to cooperate in resolving questions about its nuclear intent. European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana announced that Iran had agreed to inspections at the site "in the next couple of weeks" and hailed the talks as "the start of what we hope will be an intensive process." Further talks are expected to be held later this month.

Obama later called the talks a "constructive beginning" but insisted that Iran follow up with "constructive action" to prove its stated commitment to confine itself to peaceful nuclear development. "We're not interested in talking for the sake of talking," he said. "Pledges of cooperation must be fulfilled."

From the Administration's perspective, then, the meeting appears to have succeeded beyond (diminished) expectations, and Iran's representatives seem to have demonstrated sufficient flexibility to warrant further talks. "Iran has told us that it plans to cooperate fully and immediately with the International Atomic Energy Agency on the new enrichment facility near Qum," Solana said, "and will invite experts from the agency to visit soon - we expect in the next couple of weeks." He also disclosed that the delegates had agreed in principle that Iran would transport some of the low-enriched uranium it had produced to a third country for further enrichment so that the uranium could be used to fuel a research reactor in Tehran that produces medical isotopes.

Link to Article.