Wednesday, September 13, 2006

EUnclear on the Concept

Is it really possible that thirteen days past the latest deadline that the EU is still trying to get Iran to agree to what we demanded they stop (Uranium enrichment) at that latest deadline?

Um, yes:

The European Union is to issue new calls to Iran to suspend uranium enrichment, after the six world powers trying to strike a nuclear deal with Tehran failed to agree on a joint statement at a UN atomic agency meeting here.

Is it even possible for the EU to accept no for an answer? What exactly is unclear about the Iranian position and why does the EU think that the key is asking the question exactly right? This isn't a problem of nuance. The EU is splitting hairs while the Iranians seek to split atoms.

Six months ago I despaired at the infinite EU patience:

Thirty days to comply here and thirty days there. Pretty soon we're talking about real time. Time enough for nukes, the mullahs are assuming. I see no reason to judge their optimism wrong if we really are counting on the Iranians to surrender their nuke ambitions.


I ran across this post by accident. I'm sure if I looked I'd find far more posts like it. I mean, it isn't as if reflexive bowing and scraping is a new trait of the European Union.