CURIOSER AND CURIOSER - AT 3:48 P.M. ET:  Now the president himself is denying the story widely circulated in the press that the U.S. offered Russia a deal - help us neutralize the Iranian nuclear program, and we won't deploy missile defense in Eastern Europe.  (See our first story of the day.):

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday denied offering Russia a deal in which Washington would slow deployment of a missile defense shield in Europe in exchange for Moscow's help in a nuclear stand-off with Iran.

The New York Times reported that Obama had sent a letter to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev last month suggesting he would back off deploying a new missile defense system if Russia helped stop Iran from developing long-range weapons.

"The report that was in The New York Times didn't accurately characterize the letter," Obama said after meeting British Prime Minister Gordon Brown for talks at the White House.

"What I said in the letter is what I have said publicly, which is that the missile defense that we have talked about deploying is directed toward, not Russia, but Iran," he said.

"And what I said ... was that, obviously, to the extent that we are lessening Iran's commitment to nuclear weapons, then that reduces the pressure for, or the need for a missile defense system."

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signaled on Tuesday that Moscow was willing to talk to Washington about the missile defense shield but that Iran's nuclear program, which it is involved in, was a separate issue.

COMMENT:  It seems to me that the president's denial needs a denial.  His characterization of the letter pretty much confirms what the press has been reporting, so why the denial?  Also, Medvedev's reply essentially negates the whole suggested deal.  Mass confusion.

March 3, 2009