White House ignored Iran's 2003 make-nice

Iran offered pretty much everything the United States wanted back in 2003 -- including recognition of Israel, complete cooperation on nuclear issues and an end to financing Palestinian extremist groups.

The White House completely ignored the two-page offer.

On Sunday, the Washington Post revealed the depraved depths of the Bush Administration in its ceaseless quest for war against Iran.

"But top Bush administration officials, convinced the Iranian government was on the verge of collapse, belittled the initiative," the Post reported Sunday.

"Instead, they formally complained to the Swiss ambassador who had sent the fax with a cover letter certifying it as a genuine proposal supported by key power centers in Iran, former administration officials said."

Today's seemingly choreographed "crisis" with North Korea aims to deflect attention from a determined White House effort to create a war against Iran despite that country's clear attempts to stay out of the Pentagon's gun sights.

The neo-conservative Jerusalem Post reported Monday:

"Former administration officials said that in failing to consider the overtures made by Teheran, the U.S. missed an opportunity to prevent Iran from achieving nuclear capability."

The Iranian offer, which came soon after the U.S. military's initially successful seize of Baghdad, would seem to be exactly the result American hawks desired. But the idealogocial desires of U.S. war cheerleaders are often the exact opposite of the policies pursued by the Bush Administration.

It emerged last April that John Bolton, current U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, intentionally hid Iranian communications directed to the United States from other administration figures -- including then-Secretary of State Colin L. Powell and his successor, Condoleezza Rice.