SANCTIONS AGAINST IRAN ARE INEFFECTIVE, COUNTERPRODUCTIVE

Juan Cole in his Informed Comment gives cogent arguments why U.S. sanctions against Iran will never work. Furthermore, Cole dismisses, as I do, any positive benefit from a military strike against Iran. Obama, forget sanctions. Don't even think of military bombing. We need to negotiate with Iran and discuss more than just its nuclear program.

Writes Cole:

"The Obama administration is now moving tighten economic sanctions on Iran, as an alternative to a more direct approach. These measures include pressuring countries and firms not to buy Iranian petroleum and gas; pressuring them not to sell gasoline to Iran; and attempting to make it difficult for Iranian banks to interface with the world economic system.

"While these measures could impose costs on Iran, these costs can easily be borne by the country, and more especially by the regime."

Sanctions hardly work. They have not worked in Cuba and not have disturbed Fidel Castro's grip on power. They did not work in Iraq. And they will not work in Iran. Sanctions just raise the hackles on the backs of Iranians who would surely resent an outside nation (i.e., the U.S.) trying to force their government to change its nuclear development policy.

Observes Cole:

"Very few sanctions regimes have actually produced regime change or altered regime behavior. The US could not even accomplish this goal with regard to a small island 90 miles off its shores, Cuba. That an oil giant half way around the world with a population of 70 million that is as big as Spain, France and Germany can be effectively bludgeoned with sanctions is not very likely.

"The US needs to engage in comprehensive security talks with Iran, in hopes of striking a grand bargain. Because as Admiral Mullen rightly says, there are no good military options here."

I agree fully with Juan Cole. Both sanctions and military action are ineffective and counter-productive.

We need to sit down and talk with Iranian leaders. And we cannot continue to insist that we first come to an agreement on Iranian nuclear development before we will talk on other issues. Such pre-conditions are silly, without rational basis, and are insulting to Iranians, as they would be to anyone. By talking with Iranian leaders, we show respect to Iran and the Iranian people that we respect them because they are Iranians, a great people with thousands of years of culture and tradition.

OBAMA SHOULD OPEN DIALOG WITH HUGO CHAVEZ IN VENEZUELA

The Washington Post has an op-ed today by Edward Schumacher-Matos on Hugo Chavez.

Schumacher-Matos advises the Obama administration to simply ignore Chavez, rather than scheme against him.

"Obama should merely ignore Chávez and let Venezuelans take care of him. Much is made of how Chávez is a troublemaker who has enlisted Bolivia, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Honduras and Cuba in an anti-American leftist alliance. Who cares? None of these small countries is a threat or wants to be. There is no Soviet Union to use them as a platform, and Chinese dabbling in the hemisphere is purely commercial."

But while plotting against Chavez would certainly be another gringo administration political disaster, ignoring Chavez is equally not sound. Obama should open a dialogue with Hugo Chavez. There is nothing to be gained from ignoring him. Chavez is respected in Latin and South America and has good relations with Chile, Argentina, Brazil and yes, even with Cuba. And Chavez has always respected the voters' will on the many elections held since he took office some nine years ago.

Chavez has made many mistakes and has an inordinate desire to be president for life. But on balance Chavez has done many good things for the poor in Venezuela. That's why his many supporters love him and would vote to make him president for as long as he wishes.

Furthermore Chavez has done much to improve cooperation among South and Central American nations. Chavez has worked to free the hostages from FARC in Colombia, an effort his right-wing enemies claim without basis, shows his support for "terrorist organizations," and has extended aid to the poorer Latin nations. Chavez has also befriended Cubanos and has shown that the brothers Castros are not, as the right would portray, incorrigible devils.

Obama should meet Hugo Chavez and try to improve diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Venezuela.

MEDVEDEV ON VISIT TO LATIN AMERICA, MEETS LULA, HUGO CHAVEZ & RAUL CASTRO

Lost in the sad news of the attacks in Mumbai is the visit of Dmitry Medvedev, Russia's president, to Latin America. He has met with Lula da Silva of Brazil, Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and today with Raul Castro of Cuba.

The BBC reports on Medvedev's Latin excursion:

"Mr Medvedev's visit was part of a Latin American tour aimed at boosting both Russia's presence and trade ties in a region traditionally of strategic importance to the US.

"Boosting bilateral trade between Russia and Latin America, which could reach $15bn (£9.9bn) this year, is another priority for the Russian president during his talks.

"The Russian leader travelled to Venezuela from Brazil, where he and President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva held talks on boosting trade and technical co-operation."

Medvedev shows how Obama should treat Latin America. For one thing, Medvedev has no qualms in talking to other cultures and visiting far-off countries. He treats each leader with respect, and that includes Castro, Chavez and Lula. Medvedev takes the initiative, unlike Bush, who wants to be courted and fawned over by leaders he thinks are beneath him. Obama in his campaign said he would sit down and talk with everyone, and here is Medvedev doing just that.

UBER-BULLY GEORGE BUSH CALLS RUSSIA "BULLY" FOR REACTING TO ATTACK BY GEORGIA ON CIVILIANS IN SOUTH OSSETIA

Of all people to call Vladimir Putin and Russia "bullies" for entering Georgia to protect Russians in South Ossetia, George W. Bush, the super-bully, actually used those words, pompously stating that that's not the way to operate foreign policy in the 21st Century.

Does the uber-bully Bush realize what a hypocrite he is? Do Americans have any idea of how people in other countries view George Bush and the United States? As the bully par excellence. Why? Just look at Iraq and what Bush has done there. Consider his treatment of Iran. Then move to North Korea, then to Venezuela, then to Bolivia, then to Cuba.

The more Bush talks, threatens, cajoles and warns on Georgia, the more ridiculous and transparently hypocritical he becomes.

BUSH REFUSES TO THINK U.S. HOSTILITY TOWARDS CUBA EVEN AFTER CASTRO RETIRES

The U.S. foreign policy towards Cuba is one of the main reasons why we need Bush to leave office and Obama to come in. Bush refuses to rethink American foreign policy to Cuba even after Fidel Castro says his days in government are over. The U.S. maintains an economic blockade against Cuba and against the Cuban people. This is the message of Bush: we said we are punishing Castro but even when Castro departs, as he is now doing, we will maintain the blockade and punishment against the Cuban people themselves.

The U.S. needs to sit down with Raul Castro and the other Cuban leaders and work with them for the mutual benefit of both Americans and Cubans. Instead of treating Cuba as an "enemy" of the U.S., we need to initiate dialog and contact. We need to foster friendship and respect instead of hostility and animosity.

Friendship between Cuba and the U.S. will never come as long as Bush or the Republicans hold the White House.

REAL PURPOSE OF SANCTIONS AGAINST REVOLUTIONARY GUARD IS TO PREPARE U.S. FOR ATTACK AGAINST IRAN

The real purpose of George Bush and Dick Cheney in designating the Iranian Revolutionary Guard as "a proliferator of weapons of mass destruction" is to demonize the Iranian military in preparation for an attack against Iran and the Iranian people.

Here we see the Bush/Cheney doctrine for what it is - a ruthless desire to eliminate, literally, any country that fails to go along with the hegemonistic policy of the Bush government by attacking it with bombs and missiles.

The same threat is implicit in the Bush/Cheney policy towards Venezuela, Cuba and Syria. Do what we say or else. Don't call George Bush "the devil." Either you with us or against us. And if you are against us, we'll kill you with our tanks and bunker-busting bombs.

CONDI RICE CRITICIZES SPAIN FOR DEALING WITH CUBA

Here is a story in the Salt Lake Tribune this morning from the AP by Paul Haven on Condi Rice lecturing the government of Spain for dealing with Fidel Castro and Cuba.

"At issue is Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos's decision to snub Cuban dissidents on a visit to Havana in April.

""I have made it very clear that I have real doubts about engagement with a regime that is antidemocratic. Spain has a different view on that," Rice said during a press conference alongside her Spanish counterpart, Miguel Angel Moratinos. "People who are struggling for a democracy need to know that they are supported.""

Lofty goals in support of democracy in Cuba from the Secretary of State of the United States. But how come Condi's doubts apply only to Castro and Cuba? At the very same time that she admonishes Spain, Rice maintains and defends U.S. chummy relations with Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, all of whom are ruled by autocratic despots who flout the rule of law and democratic ideals.

This is but another example of the screwed-up foreign policy of George Bush and his gang. Divide the world into forces of good and evil, based upon your own inner voice. Then choose all the kiss-ups, such as Condi Rice, for important offices no matter how unqualified, and direct them to extend aid and friendship to the "good," at the same time as you order sanctions and even bombs against the "evil."