DISMAY WITH OBAMA IN FRANCE - AT 11:29 A.M. ET:   We've been reporting here that French President Sarkozy is clearly disgusted with Obama and his appeasement of Iran.  Europe will soon be within missile range of Iranian weapons, something that seems to bother Mr. Obama not at all.

Financial Times is reporting that France is privately warning the United States about its foreign policy drift:

France is anxious about the Obama administration’s pursuit of a deal on Iran’s nuclear programme, warning that the US must not allow Tehran to expand its uranium enrichment without facing fresh sanctions.

France is concerned that America is going wobbly.  And for good reason.

...diplomatic attention is focused on a proposed deal under which Iran might put about 80 per cent of its low-enriched uranium out of potential military use.

Under the terms of the deal, which has been secretly drafted over the past month, Iran would transfer most of its 1,500kg of low-enriched uranium to Russia and France.

There, it would be processed into fuel that can provide medical isotopes, which Iran needs for cancer treatment.

However, French officials insist Tehran must also pledge by December to freeze expansion of uranium enrichment – otherwise new sanctions should be imposed.

A French government official said: “Iran is looking for more time and a move which would give legitimacy to its programme. Imposing the freeze is absolutely essential.”

COMMENT:  This comes a day after the State Department broadly hinted, still again, that deadlines on Iran had a certain flexibility.  Naturally.  "Flexibility" is Barack Hussein Obama's second middle name.  And get this:

In Tehran, Iranian officials on Friday welcomed the outcome of the Geneva talks as “win-win."

The semi-official Fars news agency insisted Iran had secured “the upper hand” in the talks.

And they are correct.

October 3,  2009