 If the Iraq war divided Europe, the continent is united in calling for continued negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program after US President George W. Bush refused to rule out possible military action. "In the view of the German government, there is no alternative to these discussions," chief government spokesman Bela Anda told reporters in Berlin, a view echoed by officials in Paris.
| There's always the option of clobbering them, of course... |
"These talks are being held with our German and British partners, in perfect consultation with the United States and our other European partners," said a spokeswoman for the French foreign ministry. The European Union's "big three" — Britain, France and Germany — are in the midst of crucial talks with Iran aimed at finding a long-term solution that would assuage international fears about Tehran's controversial nuclear program. Their efforts have led to the temporary suspension of Iran's uranium enrichment program.
| Also to some pretty wild-eyed, spittle-spewing rhetoric. Now, the question becomes: are the Medes and Persians merely making faces and jumping up and down to scare us off, or are they seriously thinking that they're going to continue being Bad Guyz? I think they're Bad Guyz at heart, and that we're going to have to smash the ayatollahs, one way or the other. |
Iran vehemently denies it is developing nuclear weapons, insisting that its activities are merely directed at generating electricity, but Washington claims that the program is instead a cover for the development of the atomic bomb. "The fact that the Americans are not excluding the use of military force is not new in principle, but doesn't necessarily indicate that there are concrete attack plans," said Karsten Voigt, Germany's point man for German-US relations.
| If war is diplomacy by other means, then diplomacy might be military action by other means. A place for everything, and everything in its place... |
Analysts and diplomats even suggested that Europe and the United States could be working together to keep up pressure on the Islamic republic.
| If they're not, they're doing it wrong... |
"The United States has a hard line but I think its ultimate line is to have the European efforts succeed. It is a good cop-bad cop approach," said an Asian diplomat close to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). "I would say that dangling a stick can be an effective diplomatic tool when used in conjunction with a few carrots," said another diplomat close to the Vienna-based UN nuclear watchdog.
| Thank you for today's statement of the obvious... |
British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, referring to the different EU and US tactics, told the Financial Times: "Those who said we'd be split apart by the Iranians are wrong. Those who said we could not build up a degree of trust with the Iranians — at the same time as building up a strong consensus with the US and the non-aligned countries — are wrong."
| "Really. We're having it both ways..." |
US President George W. Bush said on Monday he could not rule out a resort to military action if the United States failed to persuade Iran to abandon a nuclear energy program it charges is a cover for developing the atomic bomb. "I hope we can solve it diplomatically, but I won't ever take any option off the table," Bush said. Then, US Secretary of State-designate Condoleezza Rice called for world action to keep Iran from building nuclear weapons, and repeated a threat to haul Tehran before the UN Security Council for possible sanctions. |