US ready to back European diplomacy on Iran, page 1

After failing to garner support for strong sanctions against Iran on the Nuclear Programme issue, the United States is backing European Diplomatic overtures.

news.yahoo.com
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made the announcement Wednesday after failing to secure backing for tough action against Iran's sensitive uranium enrichment work during two days of talks with foreign ministers from Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany.
"We agreed that we will continue to seek a Security Council resolution, but that we would wait for a couple of weeks while the Europeans design an offer to the Iranians that would make clear that they have a choice that would allow them to have a civil nuclear program," Rice said[...]
Diplomats said negotiators from the Security Council's five permanent members plus Germany planned to meet in London on May 19 to weigh a package of incentives as well as penalties if Iran does not halt suspected efforts to build a nuclear bomb.

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Its unclear if this is, in effect, the US saying that it will permit the international community to make any "last ditch" diplomatic efforts, before going uniltaral on the issue. I think that the US realizes that it itself can't negotiate with Iran, if for nothing else then because the US is simply weak on diplomacy now.

Its also difficult to say what the rationale is here. If there isn't support for Sanctions against Iran, then what can the 'coersive' portion of any diplomacy be?

The entire situation reminds me, on both the US and Iranian side, of an old definition. That Diplomacy akin to saying 'nice doggie' while looking for a suitably big rock to throw.

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