... QUESTION: Different topic. Just - we have reports now out of Brussels, I guess, that Catherine Ashton is going to meet Jalili in Istanbul tomorrow. They're describing this as not a negotiation round but sort of just a catch-up session. I'm wondering if you have any thoughts on what you hoped might come out of this particular meeting. Is there a sense that we could get back to a negotiating session at some time? Is that dependent on something that might happen in this meeting?

And given your sort of blanket assessment on Iran as sort of a negative actor in the region, why is it worthwhile going at it with them on this issue now when they're sort of not being constructive on anything else?

MS. NULAND: Well, this is an effort before we are all at the UN General Assembly next week to see where the Iranians are on the nuclear file. You remember that we had said after the last round, and the Secretary said when we were in the Middle East at the end of the summer, that we hadn't seen a strong enough proposal from the Iranian side, that we wanted them to go back and work on it, that we didn't think that there was any ambiguity about what the P-5+1 was looking for. So this is an opportunity for Lady Ashton, on behalf of the P-5+1, to see what the Iranians are thinking. And then we do anticipate that the P-5+1 itself, minus Iran, will have a chance to consult on the basis of that information when we're in New York next week.

QUESTION: I thought she used the term nonstarters at the time.

MS. NULAND: That was the word that was used, nonstarter.

QUESTION: So what has happened since then that would suggest a starter has been - that a starter has emerged?

MS. NULAND: Well, that's the question that we have. We made clear that what they had put on the table was a nonstarter; are they prepared to bring anything new?

QUESTION: Right, but they can call you, they can write you whenever they want. What's the purpose of this meeting to go there and ask them? I mean --

MS. NULAND: Well, they're meeting --

QUESTION: -- they're in the position where they should be complying with their international obligations, correct?

MS. NULAND: Well, we're going the extra mile to offer them a face-to-face meeting to see what's up.

QUESTION: Does that suggest that you might be open to a P-5+1 meeting with the Iranians in New York?

MS. NULAND: There is no plan for that, based on what we know right now.

QUESTION: And the P-5+1 meeting that you expect to take place in New York, do you expect that to be a ministerial or a political directors --

MS. NULAND: We haven't decided yet, Arshad.

. . .