October 4, 2007 (LAPC)--While speaking at a town hall gathering in Lancaster, Pennsylvania the evening of October 3, President Bush was asked if the negotiating strategy used for North Korea this week could be applied to the so-called Iran dispute. "Yeah," replied the President, "just so long as we can achieve something, so long as we are able to get our objective...Even though the Iranian leader said he wants to destroy Israel," Bush stammered on, "we have made it clear, however, in spite of that, that we are willing to sit down with him, so long as he suspends his...nuclear weapons program. In other words, it's his choice, not mine anymore.''

The progress with the North Korea negotiations was NOT made by demanding preconditions.

Talking with television host Charlie Rose on Public Broadcasting Stations last evening, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia, Chris Hill, explained that it was only when the Administration agreed that they would not require preconditions for talks, that progress began to be made. Every nation involved has interests, he explained--China, Japan, the U.S., Russia--indicating that for a resolution, some compromise is needed on everyone's part. Bush's conditions for diplomacy with Iran only assures one thing; that there won't be any negotiations. Hill was also reticent to draw parallels with Iran, since he noted that North Korea was a weak country surrounded by very powerful nations, whereas Iran was not. He is also noted that while the Administration slipped him just enough slack to get the job done with North Korea, it is still the policy of Cheney and friends to stir hot coals in Iran.