Diplomatic Talks With G5+1 In Baghdad, Reminiscent Of West's Alliance With Saddam Hussein

Tehran, May 27, IRNA – Some 30 years after liberation of Khorramshahr, once again the third day of the Iranian month of Khordad became the day of dignity and national strength when representatives of the western governments came to Baghdad to acknowledge Iranian nuclear rights. In 1982, the western governments had stood behind the Baathist regime of Saddam Hussein to help him go ahead with occupation of Iranian territory it seized in surprise attack in collaboration with the suppliers of chemical weapons and on the same day in 2012 representatives of the western governments sat at the table face-to-face with representatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Baghdad to acknowledge Iranian rights enshrined by Non-Proliferation Treaty. It is a significant victory for Iran, because, 30 years ago, the western governments mobilized their efforts to encourage the puppet regime of Baghdad to occupy Iran in a matter of three days, but, the same venue has become the scene of meeting between their representatives and Iran. On May 23, 2012, representatives of the western governments indicated that they lack the resolve to put an end to the dispute with Iran over its national nuclear program. Rather, they pursued complicated psychological ploy in the past month to make Iran optimistic about the trend of negotiations, but, they put nothing on the table as Michael Mann, spokesman for the European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton had declared earlier. Iran Persian daily said in its editorial that they want negotiations for just negotiations and they do not envisage any progress for the negotiations. In the run-up to the presidential elections in the United States, the US administration is not capable of ushering in a solution to the dispute and the European governments on their part lack the capability to go ahead with the oil sanctions. So, they prefer to pretend that they are currently involved in negotiations with Iran to alleviate the damage to their prestige as a result of overlooking oil sanctions. Another reason that the western governments did not want to reach an agreement with Iran in Baghdad is that there has been disenchantment with the western governments in Baghdad. The Iraqi government which once had been a close ally of the western governments has become Iran’s close friend and supporter of Iranian rights. Toppling Saddam’s regime and establishment of the current Iraqi government cost high for the US army in terms of the casualties it has suffered since 2003 invasion of Iraq. G5+1 proposals focused on stopping 20 percent uranium enrichment and several other issues which did not attract Iranian negotiators. For example they proposed Iranian partnership in campaign against drug trafficking. It is not a concession for Iran, because it has already had active part in international campaign against drug trafficking an example of which was freeing the US ship from pirates in the Gulf of Aden by Iranian Navy. But, Iran put forward a five-point package of proposals including the nuclear program and the international crisis. In addition to the nuclear –related proposals, Iran drew attention of the western governments to the suppression of Bahraini protesters by rulers of that country. The outcome of Baghdad talks indicated that the western governments did not show the resolve to come to terms with Iran and the Iranian national politics must steer clear of the nuclear talks with G5+1./end