well, ok. but the sanctions - against iraq, iran, whoever - are always meant as collateral. ramping up sanctions before talks actually implies a hope that talks will work out.

i find this source seems to lack a good grasp of the nihilist, might-makes-right brand of power politics that drives both parties in the united states, opting to interpret the world through a sense of false rationality, instead. well, they're liberals, i guess. there's a lot of naivete here....

http://fpif.org/congress-vs-obama-iran/