Major powers play games with Iran

We have today an item from Reuters that claims the "Group of Five" nuclear powers seeking to negotiate with Iran over its nuclear activities has formulated a list of demands in order to resume talks:

Major powers to disclose terms for Iran talks | Reuters: "(Reuters) - The major powers seeking to negotiate an end to Iran's suspected pursuit of nuclear weapons are expected to issue documents on Friday laying out what Tehran would need to do return to talks, a diplomat said.

A statement by Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States would be the latest signal the diplomatic path remains open to Iran despite tougher sanctions and renewed speculation of a military strike on its nuclear facilities."

Why on Earth would the Iranians negotiate with these nuclear powers anyway, so long as the IAEA can provide no evidence that the Iranians have breached their obligations under the NPT? The treaty stipulates that nuclear weapons states are obliged to reduce and eventually eliminate their arsenals -- which none, obviously, have any intention of doing.

Why is Iran being held to a higher standard? Because the Israelis -- who are non-signatories, and possess a large nuclear weapons stockpile -- have complained about Iran?

This is all unfortunate bullshit. It's a shame and a travesty that Russia and China are participating in the charade. Russia doesn't need Iran, of course, but China could sure use the Iranian oil, so why don't the reds man up?

We all know -- as it's a subject that's been beaten to death -- that Iran's crime is not related to its nuclear program so much as its refusal to knuckle under to US/Israeli hegemony in the region. Iran has something they want, and they aren't likely to stop trying to get it.

The nuclear issue is but a smokescreen. It's a repeat of the WMD farce the West played with Saddam Hussein in Iraq.

We would have hoped that the international community would have perhaps run out of patience with rogue states waging wars of aggression to control strategic resources -- but they're not there yet.