IRAN UPDATE - AT 7:23 P.M. ET:  Late reporting from the excellent David E. Sanger of The New York Times confirms earlier fears that Iran is essentially rejecting the critical terms of the offer made by the "international community" in regard to its nuclear program:

WASHINGTON — Iran told the United Nations nuclear watchdog on Thursday that it would not accept, in its current form, a plan its negotiators agreed to last week to send the country’s stockpile of uranium out of the country, according to diplomats in Europe and American officials briefed on Iran’s response, potentially unwinding President Obama’s effort to buy time to resolve the nuclear standoff...

...European and American officials said that Iran refused to go along with the one feature of the draft agreement that could undermine Tehran’s ability to build a nuclear weapon. That provision would have required the country to give up custody, temporarily, of about three-quarters of its current known stockpile of low-enriched uranium, leaving it without enough to manufacture a weapon. American officials said they thought that would give them a year or so to seek a broader nuclear agreement with Iran, one that could address Iran’s continued enrichment of nuclear fuel.

A senior European official characterized the Iranian response as “basically a refusal.”

COMMENT:  It's at this point that severe sanctions should be dragged before the mullahs, but it won't happen.  Obama has chosen a policy of weakness and "engagement."  He'll probably opt for further "negotiations," giving Iran still more time to work on its weapon.

There are now widespread reports that the United States is already planning policies to deal with a nuclear-armed Iran.  Certainly makes us optimistic, doesn't it?  What a great message to send to Iran:  Hey, we're talking, but go ahead and build the thing.

October 29,  2009