IRAN TALKS, FIRST DAY - AT 6:39 P.M. ET:  Western nations completed their first day of talks with Iran in Geneva.  The United States was not only present, but American negotiator William J. Burns had a private meeting with the Iranian representative. 

The results?  There is some spin going on suggesting that the first day was "encouraging," although, reading between the lines, the encouragement was more rhetorical than substantive.  President Obama, made a very solid statement after the talks concluded, expressing cautious optimism, but insisting that Iran produce results, and quickly.  We give credit where it's due here, and the president's statement was far superior to the lackluster remarks he made last week revealing the "secret" Iranian nuclear site.  The White House might have been chastised by a new poll showing that the American people want Mr. Obama to be tougher on Iran. 

You might be interested in how three separate news organizations, two liberal, one "fair and balanced," handled the story of today's talks.  From The New York Times:

GENEVA — Iran and the big powers opposed to its nuclear program appeared to make progress Thursday in talks that included the highest-level direct discussions with the United States in many years, with both sides agreeing to hold further negotiations and the Iranians pledging to allow foreign inspectors into a newly disclosed uranium enrichment factory.

The talks, held in Geneva, defused some of the tensions that have escalated rapidly in recent weeks over Iran’s nuclear intentions and represented a victory of sorts for the Iranian government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whose own legitimacy has not been universally recognized since his disputed re-election in June.

President Obama on Thursday afternoon called the landmark talks a “constructive beginning,” but warned Iran that he was prepared to move quickly to sanctions if negotiations over Iran’s nuclear ambitions dragged on.

From The Washington Post:

GENEVA, Oct. 1 -- A senior U.S. diplomat held a rare bilateral meeting Thursday with his Iranian counterpart, and Iran agreed to attend further talks with six major powers on its nuclear program and allow U.N. inspectors to visit a newly disclosed uranium enrichment facility, officials said.

President Obama hailed the breakthrough, saying that the talks in Geneva had been "constructive," and he credited the international community with remaining unified. But Obama warned that the burden now lies with Iran to prove that its intents are peaceful and he demanded "concrete steps" from the regime.

From Fox News.com:

President Obama called Thursday's talks among Iran and six world powers "constructive" but said Tehran must follow up with "constructive action."

"The Iranian government heard a clear and unified message from the international community in Geneva," Obama said at the White House after talks ended earlier in the day in Switzerland. "Iran must demonstrate through concrete steps that it will live up to its responsibilities with respect to its nuclear program."

Obama said Iran must grant international inspectors "unfettered" access to its newly disclosed nuclear facility within two weeks.

COMMENT:  It's interesting that only Fox led with the president's demand, but all three sources had it up high.  Good journalism all around, I think. 

October 1, 2009