Tough rhetoric from the Bush administration toward Iran over the past few months was matched today by sweeping new sanctions, punishment for what the administration regards as Iran's nuclear weapons program, for its shipping of weapons into Iraq, and for support of international terrorism. The move follow talks in Rome between Iran and a delegation from the European Union over Iran's nuclear ambitions, talks which appeared to have produced little movement. President Bush insists he remains committed to diplomacy with Iran, but Flynt Leverett believes that there's a different agenda. For several years, the former Bush administration officials have fear that President Bush will order attacks on Iran before he leaves office. ... Flynt Leverett was a senior director for Middle East affairs at the National Security Council and an advisor to both Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice. He's with us here in Studio 3A. ... And the administration, as we just said, the president says he's committed to talks on Iran through the diplomatic avenue with the European Union as negotiators. You believe, in fact, there's a different agenda.

Mr. LEVERETT: Yes. I think - first of all, the offer of diplomacy is somewhat disingenuous. The United States would not actually join with the Europeans and with Russia and China to offer a so-called incentives package and offer conditionally to join in diplomacy with Iran until all of the parts of the package that the Europeans had prepared earlier on their own that dealt with security issues, commitments not to use force to change the borders to the form of government of the Islamic Republic of Iran is part of an overall settlement. Until those passages were taken out, the Bush administration would not actually sign on to the offer of diplomacy. And as long as those aspects are missing, you know, to say you want to have talks with Iran, why should the Iranians be interested in that kind of diplomatic overture?

CONAN: And, in fact, you argue that the Bush administration's approach to these discussions is to make them fail.

Mr. LEVERETT: Yes. I think that even the people who are pushing these current so-called diplomatic approach, they understand that this approach is not going to resolve the issue. It's not going to push - promote a serious diplomatic breakthrough. They are pushing it basically as a management tool. It's a way of kicking the can down the road and, in fact, avoiding having to make a choice to use military force or allow Iran to cross some significant threshold in its nuclear development. They are trying to forestall a military outcome, a military confrontation, but I think that their strategy is falling apart around them. It is failing even as a management tool for the issue. Harder line voices in the administration, such as Vice President Cheney, are gaining the upper hand in the policy debate within the administration. And you see this reflected in administration decisions and administration rhetoric. ...

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