From the NYT
News of the agreement — a result of intense, secret exchanges between American and Iranian officials that date almost to the beginning of President Obama’s term — comes at a critical moment in the presidential contest, just two weeks before Election Day and a day before the final debate, which is to focus on national security and foreign policy.
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Coincidentally – and conveniently just before the Nov. 6 U.S. election – the Obama administration, which has been accused of undermining efforts against Iran by quarrelling with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, will join Israel this month in their largest ever joint military exercise, aimed at backing up the economic pain with a message of military unity.
I think Obama just took away another GOP talking point and also boosted his FP credentials before the FP debate.
Now if Obama strikes some camp in Libya next... lol
GoBama!
UPDATE: Whitehouse denies talks
Politico
The Obama administration is denying a report that the United States and Iran have agreed to one-on-one talks that could be a last-chance opportunity to avoid war over Iran's nuclear program.
UPDATE 2: It appears the story has legs after all.
Reuters
The United States has expressed a willingness for talks narrowly focused on specific issues, preferably on the sidelines of multilateral negotiations. But Iran has been pressing for broader direct negotiations that include other regional issues including Syria and Bahrain - something the United States opposes.
"We've always seen the nuclear issue as independent," the administration official told the Times, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the delicacy of the matter. "We're not going to allow them to draw a linkage."
The Times included the White House denial in a subsequent version of its story and said reports of the agreement had circulated among a small group of diplomats involved with Iran.
I think I saw this on an episode of The West Wing. lol