Iran rejects Obama's carrot-and-stick approach

[Titus Andronicus]

Iran has rejected a "carrot-and-stick" approach from president-elect Barack Obama that would combine economic incentives and threats of sanctions to try to change Tehran's plans for its nuclear program.
http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/12/08/iran-obama.htm...

"You know, in terms of carrots, I think that we can provide economic incentives that would be helpful to a country that, despite being a net oil producer, is under enormous strain, huge inflation, a lot of unemployment problems there," Obama said Sunday in an interview with NBC's Meet the Press when asked about dealing with Iran.

The U.S. and many of its allies suspect that Iran is pursuing a nuclear program to develop weapons, but Tehran has dismissed the claim, saying the program is strictly for power generation.

On Monday, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hasan Qashqavi repeated Iran's refusal to suspend enrichment.

"The carrot-and-stick policy has no benefit," Qashqavi told reporters during his weekly press briefing. "It is unacceptable and failed."

The Iranian government has expressed interest in more direct talks with the U.S. but has consistently refused to alter its nuclear program as a precondition.

Obama said the U.S. also needs "to focus on the sticks" when it comes to dealing with Iran and "to ratchet up tough but direct diplomacy with the state."

He said he's hoping to bring together a coalition with China, India and Russia and other countries that do business with Iran that will agree to tighten sanctions to change Iran's behaviour.

"But we are willing to talk to them directly and give them a clear choice and, and ultimately let them make a determination in terms of whether they want to do this the hard way ... or the easy way," Obama said.

Is this just an economic threat?- "...in terms of whether they want to do this the hard way ... or the easy way," Obama said."

[tekisui]

1. It is really a rejection of chimpy's no carrot no stick approach.

They want to talk, and Obama wants to talk. All else is media story making.

[Titus Andronicus]

3. When Qashqavi says- "The carrot-and-stick policy has no benefit," he really

means the "no carrot no stick approach" is rejected?

[tekisui]

4. Iran wants a seat at the table.

Obama wants to sit at the same table with Russia and China there as well. All else is overly simplified for a headline. What Iran wants to ensure is that chimpy's policy of not talking until x is not continued.

[Titus Andronicus]

8. Iran will have a seat at the table guaranteed if they develop a bomb.

[FrenchieCat]

2. The sticks that he examplified in the interview were economic sanctions coming from

the countries that Iran does business with, like Russia, and India, etc....

[Titus Andronicus]

7. Russia? Russia has been supplying nuclear fuel to Iran

and it has helped to build reactors there.

[FrenchieCat]

13. He was talking about working with the countries that have an economic interest

in Iran, and persuading them that a Nuclear Iran wouldn't be to anyone's advantage, i.e., get to Iran by negotiating with those having an interest in what happens to Iran. Sounds like something to try, certainly.

[spanone]

5. how can it fail if it hasn't been offered yet?

[BlooInBloo]

6. Don't you just LOVE negotiation? lol!

[jenmito]

9. When did Obama say Iran had to alter its nuclear program as a precondition? n/t

[Titus Andronicus]

12. It's not a precondition, it is the goal.

[jenmito]

14. That's right. Maybe the Iranians didn't understand what Obama meant which is why they said,

"The Iranian government has expressed interest in more direct talks with the U.S. but has consistently refused to alter its nuclear program as a precondition."

[Titus Andronicus]

15. Obama's goal is to alter Iran's nuclear program

[jenmito]

16. That's not the point. The point is that it's not a precondition to talking with them.

[EFerrari]

10. We really should figure out a way to engage Iran.

They oppose both the Taliban AND al Qaida and they helped us after 9/11.

Their population is very young, too.

[IntravenousDemilo]

11. The term "carrot and stick" was not originally intended as many people believe.

It refers to dangling a carrot on a string at the end of a stick, which you hold in front of the recalcitrant mule you're riding, in order to make the beast move forward. It has nothing to do with "here's a yummy carrot for doing a good thing" or "I'm gonna beat you with a stick for doing a bad thing." There's no punishment involved with or implied in the term "carrot and stick".

A more appropriate metaphor would be "good cop / bad cop."

[pinto]

17. Poster is no longer with us.

Locking.