IRAN DEAL?  READ THE FINE PRINT – AT 8:28 A.M. ET:  Yeah, we're now told (once again) that a deal is near with Iran on its nuclear program.  My skepticism runneth over.  From the Washington Post:

VIENNA — Despite some remaining differences, a deal has been reached with Iran that will allow the U.N. nuclear agency to restart a long-stalled probe into suspicions that Tehran has secretly worked on developing nuclear arms, the U.N. nuclear chief said Tuesday.

Oh, would I love to know the definition of "remaining differences."

The news from International Atomic Energy Agency chief Yukiya Amano, who returned from Tehran on Tuesday, comes just a day before Iran and six world powers meet in Baghdad for negotiations and could present a significant turning point in the heated dispute over Iran’s nuclear intentions. The six nations hope the talks will result in an agreement by the Islamic Republic to stop enriching uranium to a higher level that could be turned quickly into the fissile core of nuclear arms.

Iran denies it seeks nuclear arms and says its reactors are only for power and medical applications.

By compromising on the IAEA probe, Iranian negotiators in Baghdad could argue that the onus was now on the other side to show some flexibility and temper its demands. Although Amano’s trip and the talks in Baghdad are formally separate, Iran hopes progress with the IAEA can boost its chances Wednesday in pressing the U.S. and Europe to roll back sanctions that have hit Iran’s critical oil exports and blacklisted the country from international banking networks.

It was unclear, though, how far the results achieved by Amano would serve that purpose, with him returning without the two sides signing the deal, despite his upbeat comments.

COMMENT:  This is nonsense.  If the Iranians were serious, there'd be a deal in detail by now.  As usual, one has to suspect that Tehran is just buying more time, working feverishly on its weapons program, and giving an inch now and then to keep talks going and encourage "anti-war" elements in the West...as well as Western business interests eager to get back to making money in oil-rich Iran. 

For Obama, the main goal is to prevent anything upsetting from occurring before the November election.   He has his priorities, and they begin with a look in the mirror each morning.

May 22,  2012