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Iran met with IAEA inspectors. Both sides agreed on follow-up talks. They're scheduled for February 12. Expect little more then than now. Washington calls the shots. It does so jointly with Israel.
Doing so assures failure. It's hard achieving breakthroughs. Hardline obstruction prevents them. Iran tries sincerely anyway. For years, it's sought peaceful conflict resolution. It's not about to quit now.
Accusations keep coming. Outgoing Defense Secretary Leon Panetta took his last shot. He lied. He accused Iran of regional destabilization. He claimed its smuggling anti-aircraft weapons to militant allies.
"There is no question when you start passing manpads around, that becomes a threat - not just to military aircraft but to civilian aircraft," he said. "This is an escalation."
MANPADS (MPADS) are shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles (SAMs). They threaten helicopters and other low-flying aircraft. Many countries use them. They've been around for decades.
Panetta claims Yemen and Washington jointly intercepted a boat carrying MANPADS, military grade explosives, rocket-propelled grenades, and bomb-making equipment. "It's one of the first times we have seen it," he said.
They were heading for Yemen's northern-based "Houthi separatists," he claimed. Iran also stepped up aid to southern-based rebels, he added.
No evidence suggests Iranian involvement. Panetta blamed Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp. anyway. Washington is increasing efforts to counter its threat, he stressed.
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