Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Happy Talk Keep Talking Happy Talk   [Mark Steyn]

As it happens, Andy, more than a few eminent types have already proposed getting Osama, Zawahiri and Mullah Omar to the table. The late Mo Mowlam, former Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, advocated talks with al-Qaeda, and more recently Jack Layton, the leader of the New Democratic Party in Ottawa, argued for Canadian talks with the Taliban. In the latter case, I suggested sending Mr Layton as chief negotiator off to Waziristan and, if he comes back alive, we could schedule a second summit.

The problem with the Iran-Syria talks is that our enemies understand that democracies would rather talk than do anything else, and that, in Washington and London and Paris, the very fact that talking is taking place is seen as as progress, regardless of what you’re talking about or whether the talking is leading to anything. In fact, Iran appreciates more clearly than we do that for the west talking is the end rather than the means. Which is why they didn’t let the minor inconvenience of having to show up for get-togethers with EU negotiators every few weeks distract them from ploughing full-speed ahead on the old nuclear program.

02/28 03:16 PMShare