Iran Rejects Obama's "Carrot And Stick" Proposal

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran on Monday rejected a proposal by President-elect Barack Obama that a combination of economic incentives and tighter sanctions might persuade the Iranian government to change its behavior.

Obama said in an interview with NBC's "Meet the Press" that aired Sunday that the international community could develop a set of incentives that would persuade Iran to alter its nuclear program. The U.S. and many of its allies suspect that Iran wants to develop weapons through its nuclear program, but Tehran says it is focused on power generation.

"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," said Obama.

But Iran has rejected past offers of economic incentives by the international community in exchange for scaling back its nuclear activities, a sentiment echoed Monday by Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hasan Qashqavi.

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

Qashqavi reiterated Iran's refusal to suspend enrichment Monday and said the U.S. must recognize Iran's "nuclear right" before the country would dispel concerns about its program.

Obama also said that the U.S. should ratchet up direct diplomacy as a way to induce Iran to alter course on its nuclear program and cease support for militant groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.

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.

Comments

[Intelligentia]

There is something a lot of people in this "here" country of ours still do not understand: You have no right to dictate to a foreign sovereign nation how it should defend itself! We may not like it that Iran may acquire nuclear weapons; however, we cannot demonize the Iranians for wanting to acquire nuclear weapons. The only thing we can do is to ask them, respectfully, to not pursue nuclear weapons. Think about how crazy it would be for Iran to ask or tell the United States to eliminate its nuclear arsenal. When you consider that we are the only nation to use nuclear weapons against civilians, why should other nations who are not friendly to us believe that we may not use nuclear weapons against them. All this nonesense about direct talks and non-direct talks may sound foolish or insulting to other nations. From their point of view, they are saying, who the hell do you think to feel that we are too superior to talk to them directly. Some of these countries may be poor, but their human dignity is more important that wealth. So, we need to deal with other countries with respect, because they may not give a damn about our so-called carrot.

[StMTraveler]

Iranian Nuclear Fuel Cycle:

Vladimir Voronkov, director of the European Cooperation Department at the Foreign Ministry indicated that according to Russia, at present Iran can't be considered a nuclear threat; she does not have nuclear weapons. In addition, Iran would not be able to produce nuclear bomb through her own nuclear fuel cycle program.

"Today" Voronkov said in a press conference "one cannot say that Iran is able to make nuclear weapons, or the means to produce them. This information is confirmed by objective data and all services that collect and analyze them".

The above statements support our US and IAEA experts on Iranian capabilities and direction of their fuel cycle programs:
http://straveler-myamerica.blogspot.com/2008/...

[Balzac]

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

Qashqavi is right. It's un-diplomatic and arrogant to refer to other nationalities as you would refer to a stubborn donkey.

I don't think Obama ever spoke about Republicans as if they were a farm animals which needed to be motivated with sticks and snacks.

[Navy26Yrs]

Yo HuffPo -

Why the pic of Ahmadinejad as the leader of Iran? The mullahs have run Iran for the past 30 + years and continue to. Ahmadinejad is a figurehead, a patsy used to roll out policy to the world, to mock the west in public. He definitely does not take part in forming policy.

[gwinegarden]

The nice thing about carrot-and-stick is that, if they don't take the carrot, you can always whack them with the stick.

[SimJack]

No carrot and stick? Fine, only stick!

[snruB]

Carrot and stick no good?

How about Sugar and the Whip?

Any metaphor will do, just get it done!

[Rog49Thomas]

Counters with kabob and hummus

[robXdion]

Obama's smart move is to appeal to the Iranian people and go around their leaders. Just like he did to win the presidency.

[KarlaElisa]

I don't understand...the carrot and stick approach to Companies violating environmental protection acts has worked just dreamy for Bush.

[Hawka]

Since when did Bush ever have a stick with companies violating environmental protection acts? All he's ever done is encourage them to do just that!

[4wehttam]

Exactly, took the words right out of my mouth.

[theone718]

Iran reminds me of the short guy that tries to act tough to make up for his lack of height.

[hortonhearsawho]

If not orally consumed, well, Yes We Can induce via other methods.

[zookie]

Why should Iran suspend its nuclear program? It's the right of every country to do so...after all, we allowed Pakistan, India, Israel (and others) to do so.....Iran is surrounded by USA approved nuclear programs in countries mentioned.
And, by the way, who are we to dictate what WE think is best for every country on this damn planet? Who made us Lord of the Universe. This is just getting to be too much.

[Hawka]

It's called nuclear non-proliferation, pretty sure we signed a treaty that PE Obama fully supports and is committed too, you know, where we admit nukes are too dangerous to keep around and instead work to prevent more from being developed and reduce the ones we have.

[friscosf]

And yet, after signing the NPT, we passed nuclear weapons technology to the Israelis
And the Israelis passed nuclear weapons technology to South Africa

The US/British imposed Shah puppet government signed the NPT

Maybe the US should live up to NPT strictures first

Let He who is without sin cast the first stone

[serena1313]

If I re_member correctly, Bush refused to ratify the NPT. On the other hand Iran is a member of the nuclear proliferation treaty and is in complete compliance with its rules and guidelines. If Iran wants to build nuclear energy plants that is its right. Furthermore the IAEA and a semi-recent NIE dispute claims that Iran is building a nuclear weapon. In fact Kissinger (?) sold Iran on the idea of nuclear power plants.

Gates and Bush have been pushing Congress to pass legislation to update/replace US nuclear missile heads which would be a foolish undertaking not to mention quite expensive, too. Experts believe it would start a nuclear arms race anew.

We need to be reducing nuclear weapons not modernizing them. Insofar as nuclear plants likewise because not only is nuclear energy costly, storing spent fuel is a huge problem.

The idea that we cannot talk to a country unless they bend to US preconditions is ridiculous. It leaves them with no options to negotiate with. Even several former secretaries of state wrote a letter encouraging direct talks with Iran. Talking to Iran is the only way to solve the problem -- that is IF one exists.

[sheitan]

Hawka.
U.S. has REFUSED TO SIGN the nonproliferation treaty. Furthermore, Iran does not have and does not plan to have nuclear WEAPONS. Got it?

[SENATORCALLENBOWE]

I LIKE CARROTS :)

[jigisup]

carrots are good for the eyes!

[sheitan]

When is U.S. going to tell the truth to the American public that so far, there has not been an iota of evidence that Iran is pursuing nuclear "weapon". Iran has been saying for years that it will not deal with U.S. (or anyone else) with pre-conditions. Obama said he would want Iran to stop it's program of making nuclear "weapon"- so, where is the probelm? Iran is not making the "weapon". How much repetition is needed to get it into the skull of the politicians (including Obama)?
U.S. just has to accept Iran as a nuclear power, and continue the IAEA inspections to verify the peaceful nature of the program. Why is this sooooo hard?
As to Hamas, they were elected in open and free election by Palestinians. Stop calling them "terrorists". They are fighting occupation of their homeland. As to Hizbollah, they also fought the Israeli invasion, defending their country and that makes them terrorist? What would Obama call Israel?