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Iran Wants to Talk

By Joe Klein | @JoeKleinTIME | August 18, 2009 | +

News this morning from the always excellent Laura Rozen of Foreign Policy magazine that Iran has announced that it’s willing to open discussions on its nuclear program without preconditions. This may be good news, or maybe not. Rozen quotes Trita Parsi about the prospects:

Parsi said while the Iranian response is in some ways predictable, and that some in Washington may interpret it as “stringing the West along,” his concern is different: What if the Iranians show up to negotiations, and they simply can’t make a decision because of continued post-elections political turmoil? “I don’t think worst case is that they don’t show up,” Parsi said. “They’ll show up. The worst case scenario is that they show up but they are incapable of making any big decisions because of political infighting in Iran.”

The situation in Iran remains the most confusing and compelling in the world right now. Those interested in knowing more should also read this by Robin Wright about the Larijani brothers–conservative opponents of Ahmadinejad who now run two major institutions, the parliament and the judiciary.

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  • readeroftealeaves

    I have the sense that Ahmadinejad is to Iranian politics somewhat like Sarah Palin is to US politics: egotistical, ideological, and incapable of creative problem solving.

    Personally, I’m sick to death of ideologues using guns and threats of violence to claim control of government. Whether it’s in the US at health care meetings, or whether it’s those thugs bused in to Iranian cities to harass peaceful demonstrators, it’s past time to put the crazies on the sidelines and let more level-headed, thoughtful, clear-sighted people work out policy and political differences.

    I hope to never hear of Sarah Palin again as long as I live.
    Ditto Ahmadinijad.

    I’m tired of crazies running the show.
    I don’t care whether they’re US crazies, or Iranian crazies.

    Enough, already.

  • kathy

    No, not enough already. I expect Ahmadinejad and Khameini count on the limited attention span of the west. (But sure, I’ve had enough of Sarah Palin)

    At the moment attention may be all we can give. “watch with me one hour.”

  • mrein

    Sadly, it’s “maybe not.” Check out the denials in Rozen’s updated post.

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