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The North Korea-ization of Bush's Iran policy? It sure sounds like Bush is moving in the other direction on Iran than some of his supporters are championing. Indeed, it sounds like Bush's policy is borrowing from some of Kerry's ideas about providing Iran nuclear fuel. The New York Times reports:
The Bush administration is holding talks with its European allies on a possible package of economic incentives for Iran, including access to imported nuclear fuel, in return for suspension of uranium enrichment activities that are suspected to be part of a nuclear arms program, European and American diplomats said Monday.
The diplomats said that while the administration had not endorsed any incentives for Iran, it was not discouraging Britain, France and Germany from assembling a package that the administration would consider after the American presidential election on Nov. 2, for likely presentation to Tehran later in the month.
Any support of a package of incentives, even if it is to be offered only by the Europeans, would indicate a significant shift in the Bush administration policy of demanding penalties, but not offering inducements, to get Iran to halt activities that are suspected to be for a nuclear arms program.
European diplomats said that the administration was very squeamish about even discussing incentives, in part because it would represent a policy reversal that would provoke a vigorous internal debate, and in part because of the presidential campaign.
Is Robert Blackwill running the National Security Council yet, or what? Is Cheney's entire office on the campaign trail? Is Bolton on vacation? Locked in his office by Armitage? Or are Cheney's Halliburton contacts in Iran successfully imploring him to try to sweeten the deal?
Update: I guess Andrew Sullivan has already made this point.
More: Grumbling from the New York Sun on Bush going soft on Iran. "President Bush himself has been too willing to countenance a European approach. On the campaign trail, Mr. Bush has said of the terrorists, 'You can't negotiate with them.' This would be an excellent moment for the president and his diplomats to keep that in mind." More here.
Monday Update: A friend says the NYT story above was sourced by a "rogue operation from Vienna" -- this is not White House policy. The US is inviting the European troika here to feel them out about Washington's push to have the IAEA refer Iran in noncompliance with the NPT to the UN Security Council. Got that? Bush is not, repeat not, we are to understand, an appeaser on Iran like his opponent. He couldn't be, right? More shots across the bow on just this issue coming tomorrow. Story at eleven.
Posted by Laura at October 12, 2004 07:08 PM