Will Iran ever play nice? - Obama reveals Tehran's secret nuclear program at G-20
Today's big G-20 bombshell was not gassed protesters in the streets of Pittsburgh, it was Obama, flanked by British PM Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy, informing the world that Iran has built a second secret nuclear site. Apparently Iran just told the IAEA about the site on Monday, which has been under construction near the holy city of Qom for years. Iran has since copped to it publicly.
Why now? Well my guess is it's posturing leading up to the impending P5+1 talks between Iran and Western powers due to happen next month. It's in Iran's interest for the IAEA to have a new headache to worry about, in case they want to capitulate a little without completely shutting down their nuclear program. And it's in Obama's interest to stand up at the G-20 and call Tehran out because he can increase the pressure on them going into the talks.
But what does that mean for the success of the talks? For a better dialogue between Iran and the West? I fear it's not a good sign. We're still about a month out and both sides are racheting up their rhetoric...imagine what it will be like when they sit down at a table. The script will already be written, and it won't be a romantic comedy.
Get a sense of what Iran's thinking:
- Ahmadinejad speaks at the UN
- Iranians on their country's nuclear ambitions
Why now? Well my guess is it's posturing leading up to the impending P5+1 talks between Iran and Western powers due to happen next month. It's in Iran's interest for the IAEA to have a new headache to worry about, in case they want to capitulate a little without completely shutting down their nuclear program. And it's in Obama's interest to stand up at the G-20 and call Tehran out because he can increase the pressure on them going into the talks.
But what does that mean for the success of the talks? For a better dialogue between Iran and the West? I fear it's not a good sign. We're still about a month out and both sides are racheting up their rhetoric...imagine what it will be like when they sit down at a table. The script will already be written, and it won't be a romantic comedy.
Get a sense of what Iran's thinking:
- Ahmadinejad speaks at the UN
- Iranians on their country's nuclear ambitions
