Remember the Axis of Evil?

When first we heard that term, it was ringing in President Bush's 2002 State of the Union Address -- a phrase that summed up the good guys-bad guys division of the president's no-shades-of-gray worldview. Evoking the Allies and Axis of World War II, it put Iraq, Iran and North Korea on the side of Imperial Japan and Nazi Germany.

Iraq? Wherever it is going, it is no longer part of any axis -- though it is clearly at the moment in the United States' orbit.

Iran? With the talks this weekend in Geneva, in which Under secretary of State William J. Burns (left, walking in Geneva) met with an Iranian official, the United States is showing a willingness to ignore its prohibition on sitting down with Iranian representatives before Tehran suspends enrichment of uranium. Iran enriches, and the United States is talking.

And along comes North Korea: No senior official had met with representatives of the Pyongyang regime since Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright conferred with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. But Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is planning to meet with her North Korean counterpart, Pak Ui-chun, this week in Singapore.

What's going on here?

To be sure, White House officials continue to present Iran and North Korea in a very dark light.

As Helene Cooper reports in The New York Times: "The Bush administration began long ago to step down from its vow not to talk to America's foes."

"But," she adds, "its recent concessions to Iran and North Korea -- and to Iraq, another charter member of the axis -- have further muddled the old message."

--James Gerstenzang

Photo: Dominic Favre/EPA

Comments

[MADMAK]

If we behaved in our neighborhoods the way bush has behaved to the rest of the world. We would be in the middle of a civil war. Glad to see he's changing his ways, but it's to little to late.

[gårcho]

remember how all the major newspapers in the country were too cowardly to criticize the bush administration's silly statements 4, 5, 6 years ago? i won't forget. or forgive.

[ed6567]

If Bush is finally learning about diplomacy and stepping down from his arrogance and stuipdity it's too late, Dubya. You're already responsible for the deaths of 5,100 American soldiers, hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and $900 billion for the Iraq war much of which was lost in fraud. You, Cheney, Rove and Rumsfeld should stand before the world tribunal to be tried along with Radovan Karadzic for your crimes against humanity. When you took office Dubya our treasury had a surplus. We are now in $9 trillion in debt to those you've given reason to hate us. You are the worst President in the history of this great country which used to be great before you took office.

[Norris Hall]

The Bush administration learns everything by experience.
The latest lesson: Never speak in absolute terms.

[Billy]

Axis of Evil a silly statement? Let's see. North Korea has nuclear weapons. Iran is still trying to get them (and getting closer every day under the guise of "peaceful power"). Iraq..big lie about the wmds, right? Well, what about the 550 tons of yellowcake uranium that was just moved to Canada from Iraq? That was just for birthdays, right? Yeah, I'm SURE they weren't planning on using THAT for weapons. You people need to open your eyes. I'm not a Bush fan, but he was 100% right on this.

[libidts]

People from the administration have been talking with Iran for years about different things, Iraq, etc. Liberals are the master of spin. And the saddest thing is you don't really care about the issue, you just care about bashing Bush regardless of what he does.