Secret US-Iran talks set stage for nuke deal

[Tx4obama]

Secret US-Iran talks set stage for nuke deal

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The United States and Iran secretly engaged in a series of high-level, face-to-face talks over the past year, in a high-stakes diplomatic gamble by the Obama administration that paved the way for the historic deal sealed early Sunday in Geneva aimed at slowing Tehran's nuclear program, The Associated Press has learned.

The discussions were kept hidden even from America's closest friends, including its negotiating partners and Israel, until two months ago, and that may explain how the nuclear accord appeared to come together so quickly after years of stalemate and fierce hostility between Iran and the West.

But the secrecy of the talks may also explain some of the tensions between the U.S. and France, which earlier this month balked at a proposed deal, and with Israel, which is furious about the agreement and has angrily denounced the diplomatic outreach to Tehran.

President Barack Obama personally authorized the talks as part of his effort - promised in his first inaugural address - to reach out to a country the State Department designates as the world's most active state sponsor of terrorism.

-snip-

Full article here: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_IRAN_SECRET_TALKS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2013-11-24-00-31-07

A Good Read

[bananas]

1. That is a good read, thanks for posting it. nt

[Cha]

2. Thanks Tx.. very interesting..

"....in a high-stakes diplomatic gamble by the Obama administration that paved the way for the historic deal sealed early Sunday in Geneva aimed at slowing Tehran's nuclear program"

Another "high stakes gamble" for the O Team.. but, they have their objective and their goals in sight and they're willing to do the work to make it happen.

Remember the "phone call"? From your snip..

"It was only after that Obama-Rouhani phone call that the U.S. began informing allies of the secret talks with Iran, the U.S. officials said"

[BlueMTexpat]

3. Thank heavens that Prez O was willing to play this

high stakes game.

But you can safely bet that his opponents at home and abroad will pull out all the stops in as many hysterical ways as they possibly can.