Monday, June 18, 2012

Bits and Pieces - Moscow Negotiations Edition

It looks like the negotiators in Moscow are being close-mouthed, a good sign that they are seriously negotiating rather than posturing. The bad news is that the standard media talking points will continue.

However, there are several articles this morning that are actually worth reading!

Dennis Ross fleshes out what a "going big" proposal from the P5+1 might look like. The headline should be ignored; Ross probably didn't write it, and it doesn't represent what he is saying. Get a grip, guy - whoever wrote that!

Andrew Parasilti also offers some ideas on "going big." The Al Monitor headline writer obviously leans in the opposite direction from the TNR headline writer but comes a little closer to the content.

Reza Marashi suggests that the Iranians agree to talk to their American counterparts, in particular Saeed Jalili to Wendy Sherman. Jalili is scheduled to have dinner with his Russian counterpart tonight, which may be a first step in that direction. I'll admit my bias is that the Iranians are being dumb not to engage, as has been the situation through the Baghdad meeting. I recognize that it's possible to argue whose "fault" is is back to perhaps the beginning of the American republic, but I don't think that's useful.

Kenneth Waltz tends to believe that more nukes are good nukes, or at least that meeting nukes with nukes makes sense. So he thinks that Iranian nukes will balance Israeli nukes and stabilize the Middle East. He says nothing about the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, however.

Here's an analysis of just what weapons Iran can field in case of attack.


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