History has shown that most negotiations between Iran and the West are rarely this straightforward. I am not a 'betting man', but if I was I would put money on something having been agreed behind the scenes. Iran just didn't seem to be getting enough from the 'public' deal to warrent giving up so much. Perhaps a 'private' deal was made - maybe a guarntee from the West not to interfere with Irans right to continue low level enrichment? Maybe the lifting of sanctions? Who knows. Either way the public acceptance of this deal gives Obama a real face saving 'get out' and allows Iran to publically show that they can deal with the West. If this goes through (I hope it does but I won't hold my breath) then perhaps the war like retoric (from both sides) will stop.

Of course it's good to go, just a few adjustments on phased deliveries, time clauses and economic issues and there you have it a pretty workeable deal. People sometimes ask why Russia is involved. It's simple we are enabling Iran to maintain its rights and improve its position economically. It sits close to the SCO, this deal will allow it to be part of it. Iran loses nothing except recrimination and isolation, two things it doesn't need. Russia is the honest broker, without Russia this wouldn't fly and the only option would be war. Now there will only be war, if the west's only motive was war, but now that would be clear to see, for all the world! Now time to address Isreal's nuclear program - the weapons need destroying, and the material needs shipping out in the same way.

The amendments make sense. It never made sense to send all of the uranium for enrichment at once. Smaller batches can be enriched, converted into rods and speedily delivered to Iran. All other batches can follow along the same, well executed path. It is frankly the only insurance Iran has that France would not find an excuse to keep all the uranium. The trust has to be established. In this article a typical western style "news" item has ruined otherwise good article. Iran DID NOT keep the new processing site secret, as the article suggests. Iran, under IAEA rules has to report any new facility SIX months before TRANSFER OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL. The new facility is still eighteen months out from completion. IAEA does not have a problem with newer facilities being built. New facilities, unlike old ones, need to meet new building codes and new nuclear safety features. Transfer of nuclear material is always supervised by IAEA. This routine is well established in practice. The Western press made such a noise about the new facility. The impression was made --- quite on purpose --- that the new facility is already a nuclear processing plant! No intelligence has uncovered the new facility construction before Iran's report to IAEA. I do not have a problem with various opinion makers trying to spin a news story. Individuals working for specific organizations have their agendas, and their spinning is part of their job. But I have a serious issue with analysts. This is a profession that should be devoid of spin, and should pry open various angles of a story. The biggest problem I have is with news writers. The writing should be free of insinuations, dramatic language, villification of countries or people, and other emotional content. RTV has many great things going, but it needs to maintain vigilance and keep quality of journalism above the dismal western standards. Keep up the good work.

So basically, they blackmailed Iran into this program where it allows France, Russia, and USA the ability to make money off of their nuclear power plants in exchange for Israel and US holding their leashes of their dogs of war. Hypocrisy and blackmail aren't good foreign policy tools.

Of course Iran is right, you cannot send everything all at once, what if it never comes back?? And Russia is only being honest because Iran is important for SCO and Armenia-Azerbaijan-Turkmenistan. Otherwise Russia wouldn't even care. So I ran is right not to trust anyone and do what is best for themselves.