The Chronicler's Web (TCW)

By STEVEN ERLANGER and MARK LANDLER
Published: October 1, 2009

GENEVA — Critical talks over Iran’s nuclear ambitions began Thursday morning in the Geneva countryside, with Washington and its allies hoping to draw Iran into a serious negotiation that will open up the country to serious nuclear inspections, suspend Iran’s nuclear enrichment program and reassure its neighbors that its intentions are peaceful.

Thursday’s meeting between Iran and the five members of the United Nations Security Council, plus Germany and the European Union will mark the beginning of an “extraordinarily difficult process” and further meetings are likely, a senior American official said. Washington would still like to begin bilateral talks with Iran on a broader relationship, including trade and Tehran’s support forPalestinian, Lebanese and Iraqi insurgent and terrorist groups, from Hezbollah to Islamic Jihad.

But after new disclosures of a hidden Iranian enrichment facility dug deep into a guarded mountain near Qum, the negotiations “cannot be an open-ended process, or talks just for the sake of talks, especially in light of the revelations about Qum,” said the official, who briefed reporters Wednesday on condition of anonymity.

“We need to see practical steps and measurable results and we need to see them starting quickly,” he said. (more…)