President Obama sent a secret letter to Russia’s president last month suggesting that he would back off deploying a new missile defense system in Eastern Europe if Moscow would help stop Iran from developing long-range weapons, American officials said Monday.
Seems like a smart idea to me.
Back off on another hare-brained scheme from Bush that pissed off both Russia and the EU, was sold based on lies, and wouldn't work*, in exchange for help on an issue that at least has some basis in reality. (Though if we can live with Pakistan having nukes, I don't see why, ultimately, we can't come to a modus vivendi with Iran).
Anyhow, seems like this, at least, is smart and creative. Now, about "the right war" in Afghanistan.....
NOTE * Unless pissing off Russia and hte EU was the goal.
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After a 'secret' letter, do they seal the agreement
with a 'pinky-swear?'
What's up with the language here. Obviously, it's not secret. For a month, the government was engaged in diplomacy by letter that they didn't announce to the press. That's secret? Really? I heart the NYT - they make everything sooo exciting.
The not-so-secret letter
There was a lot of talk about how 'secret' this was on another blog I frequent, with the concensus being that this wasn't secret, at all. Yeah, the word choice threw me off, too.
That said, this seems like smart diplomatic leveraging, something Bush rarely ever did unless he was trying to get us into something like a war. However, I'm also of the mind that this NowNowNow "we must do something" about Iran crap is a bit too close to the lead-up to the invasion of Iraq for my comfort. I'd like to see the rhetoric toned way down on Iran. Particularly, I'd like to see Obama quiet down the Pentagon, which has been throwing out this hot potato to bounce around in the public sphere for months on end, now.
Speaking of Iran, I did a blog on it yesterday morning:
Our Persian Preoccupation: Iran and The Bomb
Who's beating the drums in the background and why?
But, we've always been at war with Eastasia...
Modus vivendi
Exactly. I don't understand why people make a big fuss about Iran having teh n00x. Unless they think that the Ayatollahs are suicide bombers... Ha.