Iran offered 'carrot and stick' deal

There is much being made about the supposed "carrot and stick" deal that has been negotiated between the US and the other world powers regarding the recent US offer of talks with Iran, conditional on them suspending uranium enrichment, although the supposed agreement announced by Margaret Beckett is surprisingly light on detail.

The Decider has announced, "If they continue their obstinacy, if they continue to say to the world, 'We really don't care what your opinion is', then the world is going to act in concert."

Just what action the world is going to take "in concert" remains obstinately vague.

It's almost as if Bush is a poker player overstating his hand. For example, China have been quoted as saying:

"China supports all efforts to resolve the Iran nuclear issue through diplomatic negotiations."

That's hardly a ringing endorsement of future sanctions. In fact, they are waving the carrot without even announcing what the stick is going to be.

However, even the supposed carrot carries with it the implication that Iran will not, in future, be allowed to enrich any uranium - a basic right under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty that the Iranians have sworn they will not abandon.

The draft package agreed to in Vienna includes an offer of a light water nuclear reactor and a guaranteed foreign supply of atomic fuel so that Iran would not need to enrich uranium itself.

The US appear determined to insist that Iran are not civilised enough to be allowed to maintain a civil nuclear programme.

It should be remembered at this point that the two country's currently operating outside of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty are the US and Britain. The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty not only demands that non nuclear signatories refrain from developing nuclear weapons, it also insists that existing nuclear powers take steps to disarm.

Both Bush and Blair have taken actions contrary to that agreement. Bush has announced the development of a new range of "bunker busting" nuclear weapons and Blair has heavily hinted that he plans to re-commission Trident.

Both of those actions are blatant violations of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

So we come to this issue as hypocrites, demanding that others do as we say, rather than as we do.

Quite how "on board" Russia and China are will be revealed in the coming weeks, although - from the vagueness of the threats - I would say that no-one has signed up to what happens next, beyond a vague agreement that "something will be done".

Just what that "something" is, is anyone's guess.

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Tags: Iran, UN, inspectors, inspections, crisis, US, war, uranium, nuclear weapons, enrichment, talks, suspension,