Iran may have upper hand over West, analysts say

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1150018292116760.xml&coll=2&thispage=2

Sunday, June 11, 2006
Sally Buzbee
Associated Press

Cairo, Egypt- Iran so far has been in the driver's seat in its confrontation with the West over its nuclear program, gradually leading the Bush administration to change strategy. Now it faces a choice - to accept the West's new incentives deal, or go on being confrontational.

For months, Iran has appeared to cleverly manipulate the debate over its nuclear program, engaging in brinkmanship that eventually led Washington to offer talks.

Now, many analysts predict, regardless of whether Iran takes the offer, it probably still holds the upper hand going forward. Iran has gotten substantially what it wanted - an offer of talks with the United States - while still keeping the guts of its nuclear program.

Indeed, the incentive package offered by the United States and other world powers June 1 could prove a key moment: The point at which the United States shifted from trying to abort Iran's nuclear program to merely trying to contain it - much as North Korea's brinkmanship led the United States to try containment there, too...

'i see' said the blind guy to the deaf guy.
The USA under bush is a criminally run entity, and Iran wears the white hat. American media should think about what they're doing (pushing the bushevik media agenda) when the criminal nature of the bushies is so obvious, and the interests of USA are caught in the bind

That ain't saying much.

Moreover, oil-thirsty China stepped in behind Iran without Iran needing to be clever at all. Isn't that event the greatest check on the US military option for Iran?

oil. The US could drop bombs on top of them, but the oil will still be there. They will STILL be sitting on top of that oil.

Since when is the end-user more powerful than the supplier?

That's what they need to ask themselves in Washington. Who's more powerful? The guy who desperately needs oil in order to survive economically, or the guy who has the oil, and can sell to whomever he wants?

(whispers in George Bush's ear)....it's Iran.