Is Iran ready to deal?
■"Iran and Europeans Open a New Round of Negotiations," by Elaine Sciolino, New York Times, 14 December 2004, p. A14.■"Will Iran Win the Iraq War?," by Reuel Marc Gerecht, Wall Street Journal, 14 December 2004, p. A14.
■"25 Years Later, a Different Type of Revolution: Western Culture Is Seeping Into Iranian Society, Despite Lingering Restrictions," by Robin Wright, Washington Post, 12 December 2004, p. A20.
■"Minister Says Iran Is Open To U.S. Talks," by Nazila Fathi, New York Times, 15 December 2004, p. A8.
■"Palestinian Urges Arabs to End Violence: Prominent Candidate for President Says Intifada Is a Mistake," by Greg Myre, New York Times, 15 December 2004, p. A10.
Iran and Europe prepare for another round of gamesmanship regarding nukes in Gulf. Meanwhile, strategists fret that Iran may be the big winner in the Iraq takedown.
Duh! You can't take down the Taliban and Saddam and not elevate the mullahs by default. Nor can you commit yourself to not allowing the Sunnis to rule over Iraq anymore and not expect the Shiites there to dominate.
I mean, really! How can any of this be a surprise?
Whether we wanted to or not, we just made a huge friend in Tehran by removing two great pains in its side(s): the Taliban (who played Trotsky to the mullah's Stalin) and Saddam (the Hitler role). Now, in what should be a surprise to no one, the mullahs are both more scared and emboldened (very Stalin-like, yes?).
Meanwhile, Iran's revolution is looking awfully sloppy in Tehran, even if the mullahs ride herd far more effectively in the countryside. I lived in the Soviet Union in the period just after Gorbachev took over, and I recognize a society that's totally gone cynical.
So let's deal with the dead elephant in the living room, I say.
Iran's getting the bomb America. What do you want to get in return?
Iran's says it's ready to deal directly with the U.S. So what cards do we have in our hand, and what are willing to put in the pot?
The Palestinians seem ready to strike deals. Sharon says he's committed to the pull-out. Egypt wants to help on Gaza. Syria's looking ready to pull out of Lebanon.
Tell me, who's missing in this equation?
And no, I'm not talking about the Marie Antoinette crowd in Riyadh.