Just as a question -- when has negotiation with these type of states worked? Ever? Absolutely not w/ NK; not with Iraq (oh, but with enough time it would've ... yeah); hasn't worked with Iran. Words haven't kept India and Pakistan from splitting atoms with malicious intent, etc.
Words didn't work w/ Syria either, no matter how much lib-spin our media puts on that particular situation.
Leverage works, not words.
If making the Mullahcracy believe that we'd come in and eradicate them adds leverage (whether we're going to or not at this point) then it's for the good. Lean on them. Same for Syria.
Poker, boys... it's very high stakes poker. Bluff is a tactic. It backfired for Hussein in spectactular fashion, and we're using it now. Or are we?
JP