STATE Official: "We are under instructions to keep negotiations going, not to provoke a breakdown"

"...... foreign policy has, naturally, taken a back seat.  This is not to say that diplomatic business is being neglected. US officials are deeply engaged over Syria, Egypt, Iran and the Euro crisis. Defense Secretary Panetta, for example, has intervened actively with his Egyptian counterpart with regard to the elections in Egypt. However, the overall framework is one whereby the Administration wants to contain events within manageable parameters, not allow them to assume crisis proportions. This will prompt continued US caution over Syria.  As one senior State Department official put it to us: “Take Iran as a proxy for the White House’s approach. We are under instructions to keep negotiations going, not to provoke a breakdown that would give Israel or anyone else an excuse for risky action.” As next week’s technical level negotiations open in Istanbul on the Iranian nuclear program, US officials will use some very tough language, but will be looking for reasons to continue the talks, not to break off....."