Glimmers . . . [UPDATED]

Today the ominous, gathering clouds that have been darkening our prospect lifted just a little to the north, south, east, and west.

1. The U.N. Security Council is making progress towards a consensus on how to try to rein in Iran's nuclear ambitions, according to none other than U.S. Ambassador John Bolton -- who can hardly be accused of being either prematurely conciliatory or easily satisfied.

   "I would describe today's meeting as the best we have had so far. There are still areas of disagreement" Bolton said.

2. Iran itself expressed willingness to talk with the U.S. -- with its ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad -- not (yet) about its nuclear program, as General Wesley Clark recently suggested, but about how to stabilize Iraq. Demonstrating that there are indeed fissures within Iran's government, talks were proposed by the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, who is also Iran's top nuclear negotiator.

   Despite the caveats, any direct dialogue between Tehran and Washington could be the beginning of negotiations between the two foes over Iran's nuclear program. [ . . . ]

   [Larjani's] statement marked the first time since the 1979 Islamic Revolution that Iran had officially proposed dialogue with the United States.

   Analyst Davoud Hermidas Bavand, a professor of international relations at Tehran's Imam Sadeq University, said Larijani's call was a genuine offer that could have significant consequences.

   "This could be the beginning of a major breakthrough, ending more than two and a half decades of estrangement between Tehran and Washington," Bavand said.

   He said some clerics within the ruling establishment are convinced Iran will be harmed by a head-on collision with the world over its nuclear activities.

   How much support such views enjoy is unclear, but it is known that there are clerics who disagree with the foreign policy of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who takes a hard line against dialogue with the United States.

3. U.S. and Iraqi forces mounted a huge airborne raid on insurgent encampments north of Baghdad, interning over 40 suspects and confiscating large quantities of weapons. Iraqi forces were reported to be playing a newly prominent role both in the assaults themselves and in the provision of reliable intelligence for locating targets.

   UPDATE: NOT. See below.

4. At first glance the sectarian deadlock of the newly elected Iraqi parliament looks as dark as ever.

   Signs of movement to end the paralysis did emerge, however, when U.S. and Iranian officials said they could set aside years of hostility to discuss Iraq. And Iraqi political sources said a new alliance of parties may be formed in hope of a breakthrough.

This month has had a "darkest before the dawn" feeling. It could, of course, prove to be a false dawn. But people all over the world took a look over the edge and are working hard and seriously to pull back from it.

I feel just a little hopeful tonight. I'll enjoy it while it lasts.

UPDATE: Already a reason to feel a little less hopeful. Why am I not surprised?

"Operation Swarmer," the much touted airborne raid, was hype.

I admit my ears pricked up and alarm bells went off when the cable news channels started calling it "the highly publicized" raid. Well, Time now reports (via The Mighty Middle) that "there were no airstrikes and no leading insurgents were nabbed."

Amazing how they can manufacture even hope in an election year. I have to remember to crank up my cynicism.

Comments

[meade]

Thanks. I will enjoy it too... and pray there will be more and more for us all to enjoy.