SCIENTIFIC COVER? A scientific heavy hitter from the Obama crowd is rushing into the Iran nuclear talks. From Business Insider:
Tehran (AFP) - US Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz was headed to Geneva Saturday to join talks with Iranian officials as efforts for an historic nuclear deal stepped up a gear.
It was the first time that Moniz, who is himself a nuclear physicist, had joined the negotiations, although US energy officials have been involved in the intensive technical talks under way ahead of new meetings between the countries' top diplomats on Sunday and Monday.
"At the request of Secretary of State John Kerry, Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz will travel to Geneva on Saturday to join Secretary Kerry in continued negotiations with Iran over its nuclear programme," an energy department spokesman said.
"Department of Energy officials have consistently been involved in these in-depth technical discussions as part of the US negotiating team and Secretary Moniz will be joining the team in Geneva to continue these ongoing detailed technical deliberations."
A second day of technical talks was to be held on Saturday and the director of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organisation Ali Akbar Salehi flew to Geneva to meet Moniz as part those discussions, Iranian officials said.
COMMENT: Moniz is a legitimate nuclear physicist, former head of the physics department at MIT. He is also a political player, and has been since serving in the Clinton Administration.
Why now? Why would he be flying in now? I'm guessing that his scientific expertise, being available all the time, isn't the reason. I suspect that he will be present to give scientific cover to any deal that emerges. You may be sure that, if a deal is announced, Obama and Kerry will be flanked by scientists who'll give it their blessing.
Be careful. Scientists have political opinions. The UN's atomic energy agency was, not long ago, run by a Muslim who gave Iran every benefit of the doubt. Scientific opinion can be impure, and can be used.
February 21, 2015 |