Iran Nuclear Talks Fail To Reach Deal, France Pushes Back

[Purveyor]

BY STEPHANIE NEBEHAY AND LESLEY WROUGHTON
GENEVA Sat Nov 9, 2013 9:36pm EST

(Reuters) - Iran and six world powers failed in marathon talks to clinch a deal to curb Tehran's nuclear program but said differences had narrowed and they would resume negotiations in 10 days in a fresh bid to end the decade-old standoff.

But clear divisions emerged among the U.S. and European allies on the final day of the talks as France hinted that the proposal under discussion did not sufficiently neutralize the threat of an Iranian nuclear bomb. Iran is hoping for a deal that would ease the international sanctions that have frozen its assets around the world and prevented it from selling its oil.

It is ultimately the Americans and Iranians, who have not had formal diplomatic ties for more than three decades, who have the power to make or break an agreement.

But on Saturday the attention suddenly turned to the French after Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told France Inter radio that Paris could not accept a "fool's game" - in other words, a weak deal with Iran.

more...

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/11/10/us-iran-nuclear-idUSBRE9A804X20131110

[Drunken Irishman]

1. Who woulda thought ol' France would be taking the right-wing, Israel ass-kissing position?

Ridiculous. Obama and the U.S. working against a world hell-bent on war, it seems.

[TwilightGardener]

2. I am not taking the whole France thing at face value.

Not sure what's going on there (maybe bad cop?) but I find it hard to believe France could scuttle the whole deal that everyone else supposedly wanted.