IRAN MAKES A CONCESSION, KINDA SORTA, NOT REALLY - AT 10:35 A.M. ET:  Right on schedule, and as expected, Iran has made a bit of a concession on the nuclear issue, just before Barack Obama's end-of-December deadline:

MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) -- Iran is ready to exchange the bulk of its stockpile of enriched uranium for nuclear fuel rods -- as proposed by the U.N. -- but according to its own mechanisms and timetable, the foreign minister said Saturday.

The minister's remarks come just days before an expected meeting between the U.S. and allies to discuss new sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program. The offer, however, falls far short of the conditions set by the international community.

Speaking to reporters at a regional security conference in Bahrain, Manochehr Mottaki said Iran agreed with a U.N. deal proposed in October in which up to 2,600 pounds (1,200 kilograms) of its uranium would be exchanged for fuel rods to power its research reactor...

...The deal would leave Iran -- at least temporarily -- without enough enriched uranium to produce a bomb. However, after signaling in October that it would accept the proposal, Iran has since balked, giving mixed signals over the deal, including several statements from lawmakers rejecting it outright.

COMMENT:  Oh, come on.  The clear purpose of this is to stop the clock.  You know, let us negotiate further.  How dare you Americans talk about more sanctions when we're being so reasonable?

The sad fact is, though, that some Western nations may buy the Iranian line...because Iran is buying their product lines.

So now the test will come for Obama.  Will he stand firm and move forward with a drive for tougher sanctions, or melt once more?  My guess is that he'll go for the sanctions, if only to continue the campaign, begun at West Point, and furthered at Oslo, to prove that he isn't a weak pushover.  After all, elections are coming up in 2010. 

December 12, 2009