The Daily Talking Points

News and views on U.S.-Iran relations for December 22, 2010: Commentary: Jonathan Tobin writes on Commentary’s Contentions blog that the Obama administration has fallen for the Iranian’s ploy of practicing “Fabian diplomacy in which they play upon the West’s belief… Continue Reading

The Daily Talking Points

News and views on U.S.-Iran relations for December 17, 2010: Weekly Standard: Michael Weiss attacks the concept of ‘linkage‘ in a long, convoluted piece on the Standard‘s blog. Leading off with an overstatement explanation of linkage (“by resolving the Arab-Israeli… Continue Reading

Hawks Exaggerate Ahmadinejad’s “Triumphant Tour” of Lebanon?

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s trip to Lebanon this week has produced much teeth gnashing by Iran-hawks who note that Hezbollah’s ties to Iran and see Ahmadinejad’s upcoming outing to the Lebanon-Israel border as a grave provocation. Reza Kahlili, a former… Continue Reading

Neoconservatives Dust Off “Appeasement” Argument

A familiar neoconservative talking point reared its head again yesterday. Jonathan Tobin, the executive editor of Commentary magazine, attacked the P5+1’s outreach to Tehran and their renewed interest in reviving the Geneva nuclear fuel swap proposal as “appeasement.” He wrote:… Continue Reading

Costs of Sanctions Could Trigger “Military Option”

As the U.S., British and French UN envoys call for expediting the process to set up  a UN panel to monitor Iran’s compliance with sanctions, neoconservatives in Washington are increasingly focusing their attention on the countries which continue to trade with… Continue Reading