Condi, Iran And Central Asian Bases

There's an excellent transcript of an in-air (Moscow to London) Condi/press briefing at US State. It's mostly positive news about the Iranian nuke situation, but let's start with a quick upbeat piece of news on US bases in Central Asia.

Asked if she discussed the bases with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Condi responded:

President Putin said he supports what we're doing in Afghanistan and fighting the war on terrorism, that as he did in 2001 he therefore supports our access in Central Asia. The issue of a time line, which apparently came up in Shanghai, did not come up with me. Secondly, when it comes to the question -- he did not ask me for a timeline.

Having Russian support, even if not overwhelmingly strong, for our base and fly-over agreements in Central Asia is a significant win for Condi.

Also positive was the news on Iran, as Condi assured the press that Russia has deep concerns about Mullah-nukes. She said Iran fully expected Russia to vote "No" on the recent IAEA resolution to consider referring Iran's nuclear program to the Security Council, so Russia's abstention -- along with China's -- was a signal to Tehran that its allies were tired of the Mullah's "continuing to add to the lack of confidence and concern that people have about the Iranian nuclear program."

That lack of confidence comes largely from the operation of the nuclear facility at Bushehr, which the Russians designed so the Iranians could not have an internal fuel cycle. They see an Iranian enrichment program as a violation of that design and of their agreements with the Mullahs.

She provided this concise summary of where the issue stands today:

Now, let's review where we were. A couple of weeks ago, the Iranians were walking away from everything. They were going to start enriching again. Then they were going to walk out of the additional protocol. Maybe they were going to walk out of the NPT. You know, none of that has happened. So the Iranians, too, seem to have reconsidered their options and have now declared that they want to go on a course of negotiation rather than on a course of confrontation. We will see. But we are prepared to let that course proceed. At the same time, I think we have to prepare for the possibility that that course might not lead to fruitful negotiations, at which point, as the Foreign Minister and I (inaudible) yesterday in France, we have the option of referral to the Security Council.

Negotiate watchfully, and keep Russia and the EU3 closer to us than them. Sounds like Condi's doing a good job.