August 13, 2004

When will they ever learn?

By Ed Lasky
The addiction to negotiation Will editorial writers and foreign policy experts ever admit that negotiations are futile with people like Sadr? It is amazing that writers, from the safety of their skyscrapers, sipping their lattes, can actually ignore a history of fruitless negotiations with people who reach agreements and then break them when the time is propitious. One doesn't even have to go as far back as Hitler's betrayal of his commitments at Munich and his non—aggression pact with Stalin to find instances of evil leaders ignoring their own solemn vows as soon as it is convenient. Jimmy Carter upstaged Bill Clinton and forced an agreement with Kim II Sung regarding nuclear weapons —— which the dictator later violated. Yet the same experts again counsel accommodation with serial liasr. The International Atmomic Energy Agency and the EU 3 (Britain, France and Germany) have reached understandings with the Iranians on halting their nuclear weapons...(Read Full Article)