SOFTENING?

Iran Offers No-Nuke Plan

Proposal to U.N. could lead to U.S. "engaging."

Is Ahmadinejad going soft? Iran has proposed a global system for eliminating nuclear weapons and made an offer for some diplomatic talks. The moves were met with skepticism but not total dismissal from the U.S. State Department, which notes that Iran still refuses to discuss ending its own uranium-enrichment program. The top political aide to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad gave the proposal to the U.N. Security Council and Germany Wednesday, and also offered to help Western countries deal with terrorism, Afghanistan, and other issues. The aide noted Tehran's proposal was similar to one President Barack Obama made in April. A State Department spokesman explained, "It's not really responsive to our greatest concern, which is obviously Iran's nuclear program… We'll be looking to see how ready Iran is to actually engage, and we will be testing that willingness to engage in the next few weeks."