POWIP Piece of Work In Progress

Smart Power! results may not be the same as implied or expected

During the 2008campaign, Obama promised to meet with the leaders of Iran and North Korea, "without preconditions".  And while much has been made about that promise, it seems that he forgot to tell the American people that he would also be happy to meet with them  without expecting any real results either !  I guess the moving goalpost disclaimer was in the fine print...

According to Tony Romm at "The Hill":

President Barack Obama first issued the tough two-week deadline in a speech following Thursday's meetings between Iran and the P5+1, a coalition of British, Chinese, French, German, Russian and U.S. officials. At the time, Obama reiterated the U.S. approach to Iran's nuclear program would be tough — especially so, he added, if Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad failed to provide nuclear inspectors "unfettered access" to its uranium facilities.
...
But Kelly on Friday seemed to downplay any diplomatic expectations. He stressed during his briefing that the Obama administration would not commit to a response or punishment, much less a deadline, until it could coordinate with the International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA).

"I don't know that it's written in stone, necessarily," Kelly repeated about the deadline. "But I think we'll find out more details when — after [IAEA head Mohamed] ElBaradei's trip."

[emphasis-ed.]

That would be the same Mohammed El-Baradei that, you know, conveniently left out of the IAEA reports the part concerning Iran's work on nuclear weapons; the same El-Baradei that considers himself a world peacemaker that's doing God's work!  This is the guy the administration is going to rely on to "coordinate the details" of the Qum inspection schedule and regimen?  This is the kind of Smart Power ! that's guiding our nation's most urgent and sensitive foreign policy actions; yet another example of the President's Brilliance! and Judgement! perhaps?

It's been observed by some of his opponents that all of Obama's promises have an expiration date, but a few months ago nobody would have believed that the time period would become this short!  And I guess it's safe to say that his proclamation that, "a nuclear Iran is unacceptable", has expired too; after all, they're just words ...

UPDATE: Vodkapundit weighs in along the same lines.

(H/T Allah Pundit)

Rocketman