[Washington Post] Michael Gerson - Iranian leaders and proxies seem to be taking the offer of negotiations as a sign of American weakness. "The United States," taunts Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah, "is ready now to talk with any party, not out of a sense of morality, but because it failed in its attempts to implement its plans in the region." Meanwhile, the Iranian Quds Force continues to lead, train and arm Shiite terrorists within Iraq. And last week, Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair stated: "Some officials, such as Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Commander Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari-Najafabadi, have hinted that Iran would have a hand in attacks on 'America's interests even in faraway places,' suggesting Iran has contingency plans for unconventional warfare and terrorism against the United States and its allies." Rather than unclenching its fist, Iran has been pounding it on the table. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and special envoy George Mitchell have returned from trips to the Middle East sobered by the intensity of Arab fears of Iranian intentions. A high-profile outreach to Iran would probably be taken by Arab leaders as American betrayal. They would assume that America is cutting a secret deal with Iran - and would be led to cut such deals of their own.
2009-03-18 06:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive