Ahmadinejad writes to George in shrewd move towards peace

Iran's president threw a deft trump card into his standoff with the West on Monday when he dispatched a letter to President Bush proposing "new solutions" to the crisis _ a diplomatic overture that vastly complicates U.S. hopes for U.N. Security Council sanctions to punish the Islamic regime.





While Mahmoud Ahmadinejad did not disclose what he wrote to the American leader, the letter's very existence appeared to offer Russia and China handy additional justification to block the U.S. sanctions drive while diplomatic channels remained open. Both countries hold Security Council vetos and already were hotly opposed to sanctions.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton dismissed the letter as an attempt to break international pressure.

"It doesn't surprise me that it comes on a day like today in a week when they expect a vote on a resolution. The Iranians are always interested in talking right before somebody puts the squeeze on them," he said. "Then once the squeeze lets up a little bit ... back they go to the pursuit of nuclear weapons."

Mark Fitzpatrick, of the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, called Ahmadinejad's move "an astute negotiating ploy."

"It's harder for the Americans to get 15 votes (a unanimous result) in the Security Council if they are seen as not willing to talk to the Iranians," the former State Department official said.

Source Here. (via AP)

I see John Bolton is up to his usual tricks, blaming the Iranians when it has always been the US that has refused to have direct talks with Iran. A chance of peace ? Well unlikely unless someone is willing to teach George how to read.