Whaddaya know, weeks later experts agree: Use your words, fool

[Rose Siding]

While Washington sat around waiting for the other deadly freedom shoe to drop, Iran went all civilized and put pen to paper. First derision- oh, hahaha! Stupid, evil Iran sent a funny, stupid letter.

Rice said it was broad and "historical" (Was it "Bin Laden Determined to Strike Within the United States" historical, Condi?) Before he bothered to read it Negroponte, our chief sifter of all intelligence related things, blindly determined Iran's motives were suspect.

It took a couple of weeks for intrepid reporters to get the goods, but apparently -and who knows how it happened- some administration officials found their thinking caps. Speak! they tell George now, forgetting he had been too busy blowing up frogs to learn that kindergarten lesson.

But U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity said government experts have exerted mounting pressure on the Bush administration to reply to the letter, seconding public urgings from commentators and former officials....

"There is no question in my mind that there has been for some time a desire on the part of the senior Iranian leadership to engage in a dialogue with the United States," said Paul Pillar, who was the senior Middle East intelligence analyst with the CIA until last fall.

"Much stranger first steps have led to dialogues than this letter. And as weird as the letter may be, if the Iranians want to begin discussions based on the theme of righteousness, that's something we should not be afraid to engage on," Pillar said. "We have pretty strong arguments about justice and righteousness of our own, so we should not shy away from that."

I love how the letter still has to be "weird", and the Iranians have to be portrayed in a humiliating light of desperation, even as the sense of diaglogue seeps through the testosterone laden haze.

The flaw in the advice is obvious to anyone who has ever heard Mr Preznit try to say anything, so who would do the job? I honestly can't think of a bushbot I'd trust with it. Big Mouth Bolton? Culturally Challenged Karen, or maybe our "special" SecDef? Daffy Dick! While Jr's busy listening to all the voices, *bwahaha* unless Rove decides he should inflame tensions with insults and he-man rhetoric, I predict he'll stay the do-nothing course.

The tradition is the hard-liners need American hostility (attribution coming right up)

Earlier attempts at outreach to Washington have been thwarted by conservatives. "The tradition is the hard-liners need American hostility," {said an Iranian political analyst who said he could not to be quoted by name because his employer had not authorized him to speak publicly.}

...Not so different after all, huh? And how's the whole "Axis of Evil" stategy failed miserably? Before the nuclear issue with Iran we wouldn't talk to them because....well, just because, but now-

"Now we have something to negotiate," Laylaz said. "The nuclear program of the regime has been successful, because five years ago nobody wanted to hear our voice."

Heck of a job, you dangerously short-sighted fool.

http://www.alleged.org.uk.nyud.net:8090/pdc/tarot/0-fool-360h.png

[Rose Siding]

1. A kick for a bump in the road to nuclear war

[Time for change]

2. I've never been able to figure out if he's simply a fool or

if he simply enjoys war - watching from the sidelines that is.

[nashville_brook]

3. LOVE the simplified tarot fool -- it's adorable!

and seriously... this admin doesn't want dialogue. they are preying on iran. to make nice would spoil their plans.

[hippywife]

4. Actually, the problem is

that this administration has been speaking and it was their words that started this global pissing match with the whole "axis of evil" rhetoric and has been keeping it totally stoked for the past several months. I for one wish they would just shut the hell up and let cooler heads deal with Iran diplomatically. I bet if they had shut up when they should have it never would have reached the point it has.