Pejman Yousefzadeh on the Iraq Study Group

This is why Pejman stays on my blogroll. I have no intention of trying to parse what he writes. My few readers would be bored and whatever I might write would be redundant. But for anyone who wants to know more about what's going on in their face that they cannot otherwise understand, here is a source that is clear, calm and comprehensive.
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...we should be prepared to ratchet up the pressure on the regimes in Iran and Syria by introducing the principles of the Helsinki Final Act as part and parcel of our negotiations to deny the regimes in Iran and Syria credibility and to hasten the day when reform can reach Iran and Syria as it did the Soviet Union... [This link is important. Don't skip it.]
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Accession to international organizations like the WTO is certainly an attractive carrot since it holds out the promise of economic prosperity for both Iran and Syria. But accession to international organizations will not be enough to jump start the Iranian and Syrian economies. Internal reform of those economies will be needed more than the beneficial effects of joining any international organization before dreams of economic prosperity can be realized. Absent such reforms, membership in the WTO amounts to rather little, or at least, less than what could be realized if vibrant market reforms took place. Does anyone believe that the current leadership structures in fundamentalist Iran or Ba'athist Syria are prepared to implement such reforms?
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...did you know that we already negotiate with Iran and Syria? C'est vrai, mes amis. C'est vrai...
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To enter into negotiations, a clear head and a clear articulation of rationales and interests is necessary. Such is not provided by the ISG. Again, I stress my recognition that one must talk to one's enemies to make peace and to engender a just form of stability. But the argument won't make itself. Advocates must make and advance it in the course of forming and presenting an honest rundown of the security interests involved in such negotiations. On this score, the ISG fails.

No, that's not the end. There's a lot more at the link. If you're not hooked by now, move on. Otherwise, keep reading.