The New York Times plays dumb about Iran's 20% enrichment offer

Sanger and Risen over at the New York Times say that Iran's conversion of some of its stockpile of 20% enriched uranium to reactor fuel rods, thus precluding its use for weapons, may be some sort of calculated message to the West that Iran is willing to make a deal.

Nevermind that Iran has been saying, quite overtly and as loudly as it can, that it is willing to cease 20% enrichment. Ahmadinejad himself went before the UN General Assembly and made this offer. In fact Iran had announced its intentions to make the fuel too.

Ahmadinejad said repeatedly:

“We have announced that if they give us the fuel, we will stop production. No one is ready so far, and no one has announced they are ready to give us the fuel. If they give us the fuel, we will not need to continue this expensive production.”

The problem -- which the New York Times fails to mention -- is that thus far the US has refused to recognize Iran's repeated compromise offers, and instead has been making demands that even the US negotiators themselves say they would not accept if they were in Iran's positon.

Of course Takyeh proclaims this as a victory for the sanctions policy that he's been pushing. He will no doubt take credit for the rising of the sun next. In fact the Iran offer comes despite the sanctions, not because of them. Iran was forced to enrich to 20% in the first place and repeatedly offered to cease that.

Anyway, interesting how the NY Times has decided to call Iran's 20% enriched fuel as "medium-enriched".