There are certain things in life, which have guaranteed outcomes, the duplicity of the Russian government is one of those things. Recently, the Russian government played host to last minute negotiations with Iran in an 11th hour bid to stave off a confrontation between Iran and the West over the contentious subject of Iran’s nuclear program. For sometime, the world has been united in the position that Iran must not be allowed to enrich uranium, a stepping off point toward nuclear weapons development.

Russia (along with China) has been anxious to avoid a showdown, as it has extensive business arrangements with the Islamic Republic (sic), including its controversial support for Iran’s nuclear “power” industry. Earlier, the Russians made a proposal to satisfy both sides: Iran could enrich uranium in Russia for its nuclear program; it has been under the guise of this proposal that the Iranians and Russians have been supposedly meeting. Now it seems the true nature of those meetings were far different.

As it turns out the Iranians and the Russians were strategizing as to how they can pull a fast one on the west, which would allow Iran complete autonomy to develop an indigenous nuclear weapons program. The strategy they devised one could call, the “nit pick method.” What the nit pick method entails is a gradual wearing down of your opponent. In this process, the nit picker (i.e., Iran) gradually gets everything they want. First Iran demands the right to nuclear power, though its track record clearly demonstrates a pattern of behavior, which leads one to question the rogue state’s credibility. Then Iran demands full rights to develop nuclear fuel and soon nuclear weapons themselves.

[Insert tangent here] The nit pick method has been used with great success in moving the world toward socialism, perhaps this strategy was the topic of discussion at the last meeting of the ComIntern (Communist International), where as the socialists devised a strategy to gradually moving the world toward socialism through a phased adoption of various socialist policies: minimum wage, medicare, social security, etc…

In any case, Russia, in this strategy serves as the enabler, operating under the guise of a concerned negotiator, determined to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, and as such opposing uranium enrichment. Now Russia, in an unsurprising about-face, argues that Iran should be allowed to enrich uranium within its territory after all. Ostensibly, the Russians argue that Iran should only be allowed to enrich small quantities of uranium, but this is a pretense, no sooner will the west agree to this proposal, as the spineless EU3 most certainly will, then Iran will make further demands. History shows that such a nit pick strategy works with glaring regularity, especially with regard to the Europeans.

“This is my last territorial demand in Europe…we want no Czech,” said Hitler after the ill fated Munich pact, history proves that such a strategy only leads to conflict, if not now later, then when the nit picker finally demands something the EU3 and the US are unwilling to give, such as our lives.

For her part, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, has made it clear that the US cannot accept the latest Russian proposal, but the US may not have a choice, short of acting alone. The Europeans, through almost two years of negotiations with the Iranians, have shown their hand one time too many. The EU3 will go to any length to avoid a conflict with Iran. Russia for its part will continue to play both ends against the middle, foolishly guarding its short term financial interests, while ignoring the long term implications for its own security. China, too, will support the Russian position, as they “have no dog in this fight,” at least in the short term, viewing Iran as simply another supplier for its burgeoning oil lust.

Under Russia’s latest proposal, Iran would be allowed to conduct “limited” research activities in its uranium enrichment program, after a temporary suspension of all uranium enrichment activities at its facility at Natanz. The appeasers have already lined up to support the policy, at least in private. Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the IAEA has noted that the Iranian crisis may soon be resolved. ElBaradei said Iran had compromised during the negotiations, which led to his favorable attitude toward the progress of the talks. Iran like Hitler, Mussolini and other notorious nit pickers of the past, has proven its contempt for international norms time and time again. It was not that long ago that Iran denied the very existence of any nuclear program, peaceful or in “limited research.”

It is a forgone conclusion that this latest proposal will be embraced wholly by the EU and the UN, Iran’s nit picking divide and conquer strategy has successfully torn at the fabric of what was once a united front among Europe, the US, Russian and China. Soon America will stand alone, supported only by Israel and end the end even America may prove incapable of acting. After years of leftist propaganda, the American public simply will not accept a Bush move on Iran.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/07/international/europe/07iran.html?_r=2&oref=login&oref=slogin