[Peace-discuss] Fw: Is President Obama Afraid to Negotiate with Iran?

[Jenifer Cartwright]

For yr consideration... --Jenifer

--- On Thu, 5/20/10, Just Foreign Policy <info at justforeignpolicy.org> wrote:



    
        
    
    
        
        
        Dear Jenifer,

Sign the petition to the President telling him not to be afraid to negotiate with Iran.


During the Presidential campaign, Senator Obama repeatedly quoted President Kennedy: "Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate." [1]  



But now the Obama Administration appears to be missing a key opportunity to deescalate conflict with Iran through negotiation.   



Help us remind President Obama of his campaign pledge to "negotiate with our enemies" by signing our petition: "Don't be afraid to negotiate."  



http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/iran 



This week, Iran agreed to send 2,640 pounds of its low-enriched uranium to Turkey within a month as part of a confidence building measure negotiated by Turkey and Brazil. Ivan Oelrich, vice president of the Strategic Security Program at the Federation of American Scientists, says the technical difference between the deal Iran just agreed to and the deal the Obama administration proposed in October is small and that Iran is offering a key opportunity for engagement. [2]  



But, as author Stephen Kinzer notes, the U.S. seems to be "reflexively dismissing" the deal, appearing to be "unreasonable and petulant." [3]  



As New York Times columnist Roger Cohen notes, the Obama Administration now appears to be insisting that Iran suspend the enrichment of uranium, just like the Bush Administration did [4] - a total contradiction of the spirit of the Obama Administration's October proposal, and a total contradiction of Obama's promise to negotiate with Iran without preconditions.   



Missing this opportunity would be dangerous. Won't you join us in calling on the Obama Administration to follow through on its promise of diplomatic engagement with Iran? 



http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/iran



Thank you for all you do to help bring about a just foreign policy, 



Megan Iorio, Robert Naiman, Sarah Burns and Chelsea Mozen

Just Foreign Policy 



Please support our work. Donate for a Just Foreign Policy.

http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/donate.html



References: 



1. "President Obama's Commitment to Real Diplomacy with Iran," Video, Just Foreign Policy

http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/videos/obama-iran

2. "Iran's Nuke Fuel Deal: Breakthrough or Bogus?" Nathan Hodge, Wired.com, May 17, 2010

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/05/irans-nuke-fuel-deal-breakthrough-or-bogus/

3. "UN sanctions risk real progress on Iran," Stephen Kinzer, GlobalPost, May 18, 2010 16:23 ET

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/diplomacy/100518/iran-sanctions-un-hillary-clinton

4. "America Moves the Goalposts, Roger Cohen, New York Times, May 20, 2010

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/21/opinion/21iht-edcohen.html


        
        

        
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