The irrational belief that talking to Iran would accomplish anything

Even Iran recognizes that it makes no sense. The BBC reports this response:

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad has said Tehran is ready to talk to the US - once it changes its attitude.

His remarks follow suggestions that the US should start direct talks with the country to reduce the violence in Iraq.

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At a news conference, the Iranian president said his country sought positive interaction with the entire world, including the US - if the country changed its behaviour.

"We will talk to the US government under certain conditions. Should it correct its behaviour, we will talk to them," Mr Ahmedinejad said during a press conference.

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So if we hand over Iraq and Israel to the mad mullahs they will talk to us, but they are still going to keep their nukes. Where did Tony Blair get the loopy idea that anything could be accomplished by talking to these nuts. Probably from the liberals who think they can persuade a bunch of despots to "change their attitudes."

Westhawk also has analysis of the fruitlessness of talking to Iran and Syria.

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Iraq’s Sunni-Arabs, most importantly those not cooperating with the insurgency, would be very unhappy (as evidence, see the apprehensive response of Omar, at Iraq the Model, a moderate and pro-Western Sunni, the kind Mr. Blair wishes there were more of in Iraq). Inviting Iran into Iraq’s affairs would drive the last of the Sunni Arabs out of Iraq’s government. And any of Iraq’s Sunni Arabs who are not already supporting the insurgency would likely then be in a mind to do so.

Iraq’s Kurds would likewise feel both betrayed and isolated. Some Iraqi Kurds might feel safer merging with the Turkish PKK resistance group, in order to establish a more powerful Kurdish power base. Other would object, fearing a Turkish counterattack to such a move. In the end, an isolated and friendless Iraqi Kurdistan, the best example of what the Islamic Middle East might have become, would likely wither away.

Finally, and most disastrously for U.S. interests, inviting Iran into Iraq’s affairs would ensure that Iraq’s Shi’ite area, the economic and demographic power of Iraq, would become an Iranian colony. This would be bad enough by itself. But it would also likely guarantee a future war over the tops of the Persian Gulf’s oil wellheads, either between Israel and Iran, or between Sunni Arabia and Shi’ite Persia.

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That is assuming anything substantive at all would come from the conversations if any took place. How long have the Euro's been talking to Iran about their nukes? The latest press conference by Ahmedinejad was to say they have just about completed their development phase. Talking has not persuaded them one wit, nor has the threat of sanctions. The use of force appears to be the only option that will have productive results, but at this point there is a collective lack of will to use that option.