When did the US decide an attack on Iran was not possible? The Economist suggest that German Chancellor Angela Merkel may have finally persuaded George Jr to stop his attacks on Iran; to actually solve the problem without military conflict. This may have averted (or delayed) an American 'Pearl Harboring' of Iran. Interesting insight from the Washington Post of 4 Jun 2006:
Quote:
Rice Key to Reversal on Iran
At the end of March, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice flew to Europe and had unusual, one-on-one conversations with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Jacques Chirac and British Prime Minister Tony Blair. She also attended a meeting in Berlin on Iran at which the Russian and Chinese representatives denounced the idea of sanctions to halt Tehran's drive toward a nuclear weapon.
Rice returned to Washington with a sobering message: The international effort to derail Iran's programs was falling apart. Her conclusion spurred a secret discussion among Rice, President Bush, Vice President Cheney and national security adviser Stephen J. Hadley: Should the United States finally agree to join the Europeans at the negotiations with Iran?
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Some are still asking if this new policy is simply an attempt to win back momentum by requiring Iran to meet unilateral preconditions before any talks can occur. Did the Washington Post get it right or is the Washington Post being uses as part of a new anti-Iran campaign?