(Council on Foreign Relations) Elliott Abrams - What happened in Istanbul? Judging from the account in the New York Times, not much. The EU's Lady Ashton says the talks were "useful and constructive." The Times continues: "I don't think they would come if they weren't serious," one Western diplomat said. Serious about what? The fact that there appear to have been no concrete proposals discussed, yet the next meeting is delayed now for five weeks, suggests skepticism about Iranian "seriousness." Note that the head of the U.S. delegation, Wendy Sherman, requested a private one-on-one meeting with the head of the Iranian delegation. She was the one asking, not Saeed Jalili. This action ensures that the U.S. appears to Iran as a suitor, anxious for these talks to succeed - and apparently more anxious than is Iran.
2012-04-16 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive