Iran Nuclear Deal Expected as Early as Friday

[Jesus Malverde]

Source: Wall Street Journal

Agreement Will Mark the First Agreement in Decades

Iran and world powers expect to announce an initial deal as early as Friday to curb Tehran's nuclear program in exchange for an easing of sanctions, a step that would mark the first breakthrough in a decade.

GENEVA—Iran and world powers expect to announce an initial deal as early as Friday to curb Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for an easing of sanctions, a step that would mark the first breakthrough in a decade to blunt the threat of Tehran developing nuclear weapons.

Secretary of State John Kerry will fly to Geneva on Friday to complete the deal, the State Department said. President Barack Obama described the emerging agreement Thursday in an interview with NBC News, saying that if Iran doesn’t live up to its end, “we can crank that dial back up” on sanctions.

The two sides were jointly preparing a draft agreement ahead of a likely announcement, said Iranian and Western officials, although the plan could still unravel. The White House already faces major opposition both from its allies in the Middle East and members of Congress. Israel, in particular, has been deeply skeptical. “The proposal would allow Iran to retain the capabilities to make nuclear weapons. Israel totally opposes these proposals,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday. “I believe that adopting them is a mistake of historic proportions.”

The movement is also likely to unsettle U.S. lawmakers, who have been preparing to impose new sanctions against Iran’s oil exports and financial sector. The Obama administration has urged lawmakers to wait, and Sen. Tim Johnson, chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, said Thursday that no decision would be made until after this week’s talks in Geneva.



Read more: http://on.wsj.com/16JoNga

[Zeke L Brimstone]

1. Sabotage, Bibi, Sabotage!

And be quick about it! Else, how can AIPAC, AEI, Bill Kristol and your other American shills mislead the USA into another war against a country you don't like?

[Jesus Malverde]

2. PM Netanyahu meets US Sec of State John Kerry

[another_liberal]

3. Israel is on the wrong side of history . . . again.

The George W. Bush era is over, Mr. Netanyahu. The World no longer wants or needs more anti-Muslim crusades. It's time for you to step down, and let someone who can get along with the neighbors govern your nation.

[kelliekat44]

4. It has to be something given up on both sides. Israel does not want peace (or at least Bibi) does

not want peace. Hopefully, the PEOPLE of Israel have a big say in what happens.

[bemildred]

5. It seems clear at this point that the US wants the mess cleaned up.

I'm not sure how coherently, but they do. The stalling has ended. Pissing off Russia as a sport has ended. And Bibi and the Saudis are going to have to consider their options, which are not pretty. Kerry got about as close as one gets in diplomacy, short of war, to chewing Bibi out over the settlements.

[kelliekat44]

7. It's about time we had government appointees who put US interests first.

I am tired of seeing my family being torn by widowed military wives, manic sons and brothers suffers from PTS and a government that spends too much on the war machine as it takes away much needed social and economic help from its working poor and disabled poor.

[Jesus Malverde]

9. It's interesting to watch this video with the sound off.

Watch Kerry's body language it says it all.

Israel's ill-tempered opposition – even before anything has been formally agreed – looks set to further strain its already tense relations with Washignton. "Netanyahu unwise to challenge US so openly/dismissively on possible Iran nuclear deal," tweeted Nicholas Burns, a former senior US diplomat. "Netanyahu's outburst was a serious tactical error." The Israeli prime minister has taken a hard line on this issue for years, so it is no surprise he is taking the news badly. It is still hard to imagine, however, that Israel would attack Iran – even if it has the military capability to do so alone – while a prolonged and internationally backed agreement is in place.

Hawks squawk even before Iran nuclear deal is sealed

[bemildred]

11. Wow, thanks for the tip.

Bibi reminds me of W "explaining things" there a bit, and Kerry looks like he is done listening to this fool, and done talking to him too.

[NBachers]

12. I tried it - you're right

[karynnj]

13. Kerry may not have been able to keep a poker face, but this does show his patience

The Nickolas Burns comment you highlighted deserved highlighting. It seems that Netanyahu is completely oblivious that we are among the very few friends they have.

[karynnj]

10. He pretty near called Bibi a liar on the issue of Palestinian "consent" on the settlements

Kerry is a diplomat, but this is a key issue and I suspect he was as clear as he was for two reasons - it is an essential element of any agreement and he is knocking down Bibi's argument that failure would be the Palestinians' fault.

[ucrdem]

6. Israel furious as Kerry heads to Iran talks in Geneva

"Iran got the deal of the century and the international community got a bad deal, this is a very bad deal. Israel utterly rejects it," Netanyahu told reporters of the proposals under discussion.

"Israel is not obliged by this agreement and Israel will do everything it needs to defend itself and the security of its people."

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jVt-Fy0RYyyYwunVPQhtk5cJlwTQ?docId=b989248b-ad92-4ba7-a7d1-b8719772cb2b

[kelliekat44]

8. And herein lies the problem for the world. A renegade Israeli government that abides by absolutely

NO international laws or agreements.

[eridani]

15. This may well block a unilateral attack on Iran by Israel

Israel Rejects Mooted Interim Iran Nuclear Deal, Kerry Heads to Talks

http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/330-131/20308-israel-rejects-mooted-interim-iran-nuclear-deal-kerry-heads-to-talks

Tellingly, Kerry did not appear in public with the Israeli leader on Friday and instead flew off in silence to Geneva to join talks between Iran and six world powers, including Russia, China and the European Union.

Despite his veiled threat, Netanyahu would find it almost impossible to launch an attack on Iran should it clinch an initial deal to relax tough economic sanctions in return for a partial pullback of its large nuclear program.

"I can understand why Netanyahu is so furious," said Giora Eiland, a former Israeli national security adviser.

"A unilateral military option would have no real chance now. Not because we can't do it, but because it would be seen as moving against the whole international community," he told Reuters. "That is something Israel cannot afford."

[ucrdem]

17. I hope so.

As I understand it Netanyahu has an even more ferocious right flank that wouldn't let him stop pushing for an Iran attack if he wanted to. And after five years of being slapped down by Obama-Biden and betting the farm on the wrong horse in 2012 I have to wonder why he WOULDN'T want to.

[bemildred]

18. I think so too. nt

[eridani]

14. NYT article

West and Iran Seen as Nearing a Nuclear Deal

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/08/world/middleeast/iran.html?hp&_r=1&

But even as the two sides tried to finalize the agreement on Thursday, fissures have widened between the United States and some of its principal allies over the potential pact, which has been hailed by the Obama administration as a possible breakthrough in the standoff over Iran’s nuclear aspirations but dismissed by critics as a temporizing measure that would leave the core of Tehran’s atomic program intact.

Mr. Kerry and senior American officials here have promoted the idea of a multistage agreement as a hardheaded response to the new Iranian leadership of President Hassan Rouhani. The first phase of the accord would suspend Iran’s nuclear effort for as long as six months in return for limited sanctions relief, which could include access to frozen assets.

[Jesus Malverde]

16. Talks seeking Iran nuclear deal to enter third day

Talks in Geneva on Iran's nuclear programme are to resume on Saturday, after Friday's discussions ended late in the evening.

Earlier US Secretary of State John Kerry said there were still "important gaps" between Iran and world powers.

Meanwhile, President Obama telephoned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to allay fears over any deal.

Under a deal being floated, Iran could freeze expansion of its nuclear activity for limited sanctions relief.

"It was productive but still we have lots of work to do," Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told reporters late on Friday.

For his part, Mr Kerry commented "we're working hard," as he returned to his hotel at the end of the evening.

A White House statement said Mr Obama had updated the Israeli leader on the talks in Geneva, and repeated his commitment to stopping Tehran getting a nuclear weapon.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had earlier said he "utterly rejected" such a deal with Iran, its long-time enemy, and that his country would not be obliged to abide by it.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-24870469

[Alamuti Lotus]

19. While the zionist regime is rightly condemned for its words here, it is not the only hostile actor

I wonder if the al-Saud family ever gets jealous of the attention that Israel gets with respect to the present stranglehold of Iran? I mean, the wahhabi dictators spend so much time and behind-the-curtain efforts ($$$) to get the real ducks of this campaign against the Islamic Republic properly lined up, and that grandstanding cryptofascist Netanyahoo always gets most of the credit. I guess keeping Iranian oil virtually off the market is enough of a reward in itself, matched up against pride and all of that uncomfortable attention that their de-facto ally is racking up in the meantime.

When the most rabid imperialist fanatics in the US gov't separately began courting the zionists and the wahhabis in the 50s/60s to bring down Nasser and nudge out the Stalinists, I wonder if any of those Cold War dinosaurs (pun not intended) knew what kind of a swell racket they would be arranging for decades to come?

On edit: originally, I mistakenly used the phrase "actions" in the subject... Netanyahoo is good for talking only--and endlessly does so, even when the most basic prudence would urge one to keep the pie-hold even briefly closed.