Negotiating With Terrorists

Hot Air has the scoop on the apparent U.S. decision to hold direct talks with Iran.

Tough luck for Saddam that he didn’t push his nuke program harder, huh? He might have earned himself some restored diplomatic relations or, if he played his cards right, maybe even a peace treaty.

This sounds like a wholly distressing development, though we're waiting on details from a pending press conference with Condi Rice.  Advance word on the prepared remarks suggests such talks will be contingent on Iran suspending uranium enrichment and reprocessing.  Do we really expect them to even entertain such an idea or is this part of a diplomatic show of good faith and due process to the international community?

White House spokesman Tony Snow said Rice's statement will be short — about five double space pages — and will lay out an initiative moving forward in the international community's ongoing effort to see that Iran suspends enrichment and the reprocessing activities.

The speech is not going to mark a change in the U.S. position, he said.

I trust we have the next move plotted out once Iran refuses to suspend its disputed activities (or claims suspension but refuses to allow sufficient verification), because that leaves us with the option of either standing firm and walking away from the negotiating table, or buckling and submitting to direct talks despite non-compliance.

Allahpundit considers a thornier possibility - Iran suspends (or claims to suspend) enrichment long enough to get us to the table, then promptly begins again, for their ostensible civilian energy program that has thus far underpinned their need to test fire missiles and shake their fissile ambitions at Israel.

[Rice] already conceded they have the right to do so.  On what grounds does she object next time?

Update:  Now it's asymmetric terrorist negotiation.  According to a UPI report, we're agreeing to take the use of force off the table.  This, as our counterpart threatens its neighbors will annihilation and test fires long-range missiles.  What then becomes Iran's incentive to play nice if they're guaranteed safety?  A less stern talking to?