"Powellism without Powell"

Barbara Slavin, USA Today:

Two prominent Democrats said Sunday that the Bush administration has changed policy toward Iran by agreeing to economic incentives if Tehran gives up a potential nuclear weapons program. "It's a shift," Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told CNN's Late Edition. He said the administration should go further and join European talks to end Iran's program to make nuclear fuel.

Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., ranking member of the committee, told CBS' Face the Nation that the administration was practicing "Powellism without (Colin) Powell." The administration sometimes overruled the then-secretary of State's desire for diplomatic talks with Iran and North Korea. READ MORE

Bush's national security adviser, Stephen Hadley, denied a change in policy even though the administration has not used economic benefits in the past to influence Iranian behavior. "These are not concessions that we are offering to Iran," Hadley said on Fox News Sunday.

Hadley and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice both emphasized in television interviews that the administration cares more about achieving a united front with Europe than in reaching out to Iran's theocratic regime. ...

On Friday, Rice announced that the United States would drop its objection to Iran applying for membership in the World Trade Organization and would consider letting Iran buy spare parts for its civilian aircraft. In return, the Europeans agreed to take Iran before the United Nations Security Council if it resumes the enrichment program.

Patrick Clawson, an Iran expert at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said the administration had gone "awfully close to the red line it had in the past that it doesn't reward bad behavior because that encourages more bad behavior." Iran hid important elements of its nuclear program from U.N. inspectors for 18 years.

But Clawson echoed the administration's contention that it was less interested in a deal with Iran than in shoring up trans-Atlantic unity.

Iran dismissed the U.S. moves. President Mohammad Khatami said Iran is "willing to work with the world to give more security that Iran is not moving toward construction of nuclear weapons."

Iran's ambassador to France, Sadegh Kharrazi, said the U.S. move could improve relations. He quoted a remark by the first President Bush that "goodwill begets goodwill."

Iran suspended its nuclear fuel program last year. But Kharrazi said Iran would not accept a permanent cessation. "Iranians believe this is their right, if not for now than for generations to come," he said in a telephone interview. "Any government of Iran which agrees to cessation would collapse immediately because it is a matter of national interest and pride."

Progress toward an agreement is unlikely until after Iranian presidential elections June 17. Iran contends that its nuclear program is meant only to make fuel for generating electricity.