Senator Kerry Would Seek Direct Talks With Iran: Adviser

Tehran Times ^ | March 6, 2004 | Tehran Times

[Land_of_Lincoln_John]

WASHINGTON (IRNA) -- Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry will seek direct talks with Iran if he wins the White House, his foreign policy chief said Thursday.

Rand Beers, national security issues coordinator for the Massachusetts senator, was critical of President George W. Bush for shunning direct dialogue with Iran after branding it a member of an "axis of evil," dispatches indicated.

Speaking to a foreign policy forum, Beers said the question of nuclear non-proliferation was one of the most significant issues facing the world and Washington should press harder to advance negotiations.

Beers said Kerry, currently leading the pack in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, sought more direct efforts to thaw relations with Iran that have been frozen since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

"John Kerry is not saying that he is looking for better relations with Iran. He is looking for a dialogue with Iran," Beers said. "There are some issues on which we really need to sit down with the Iranians."

He listed the cultivation of opium poppies in neighboring Afghanistan as among the questions Kerry would like to take up directly with Tehran.

[Land_of_Lincoln_John]

Kerry seems to be pretty cozy with the Islamic Republic of Iran.

[raloxk]

Get ready for another grand failure

[jwalsh07]

SOmebody should tell Mr beers that Libyas centrifuges and nuclear materail is currently on a ship bound for America to be properly dispose of.

Kerry, like Clinton, before him has said he would treat terrorism as a criminal matter. Freaking idiots.

[jocko12]

WHY 2 DAYS AGO A JUNOIR SENATOR FROM NY SLAP HIM DOWN.

[leprechaun9]

Would he do this before or after he got permission from Kofi Annan?

[mass55th]

He'd probably invite Osama to sleep in the Lincoln Bedroom too.

[Peach]

He'll bore them to death.

[Lexington Green]

Kerry and the Dems - desperately seeking someone to surrender to.

[ScaniaBoy]

He listed the cultivation of opium poppies in neighboring Afghanistan as among the questions Kerry would like to take up directly with Tehran.

Why would he do that?

Buying or selling?

ScaniaBoy

[GulfWar1Vet]

Was FReeping the lefties this morning. A woman carried a sign saying: "Violence is not the answer. Let's negotiate."

I ain't making this up! I laughed so hard when I saw this, but it got me thinking...Yep, this is what John "Freaking Unbelievable" Kerry would do...negotiate with Iran, Iraq, Osama Bin Laden and every freaking terrorists in this world.

May God give us mercy if Mr. IHOP wins in November.

[paul51]

Yeah, he could cut them the same deal clintoon and madie gave north korea

[Mike Darancette]

Mr. Kerry the Islamo-Faciest leadership in Iran wants Infidels (that's you and the country you would pretend to lead) either converted to Islam, enslaved or dead, and you are offering what then?

[zencat]

I'm sure Bush will seek direct talks with Iran too.

It'll go something like this, "Look Mullahs, quit attempting to make nukes or we're destroying the facilities. Got it?"

[gaspar]

Rand Beers is a disaster, and would be a catastrophe in a Kerry administration. Lest we forget he was the individual that tied Colombian Marxist cocaine dealers with Middle East terrorists -- and when challenged on his facts had to recant.

[mrtysmm]

When I hear Kerry saying that he wants a dialogue with the terrorists...and he did say that, and he wants to correct the mistakes that GWB has made in the last 3 1/2 years I want to scream. Since when do we "negotiate" with terrorists? If we start down that road youcan be sure the terrorists will rise and shine again....and on our territory.

[Arpege92]

Rand Beers was critical of Bush because he shy's away from direct dialogue with Iran after branding it a member of an "an axis of evil"!!!

Geez Mr. Beers, Iran is not a member of the "axis of evil"? The majority of Iran's citizens feel differently than you and they would probably love nothing more than to make you eat crow.

[LibLieSlayer]

President Bush (through SOS Colin Powell) approached Iran concerning direct government talks (after we sent aid to them after the horrid earthquake they recently experienced). Iran's official answer was that maybe we could have direct contact in the future, after we tell Israel to go to hell. I know that I am paraphrasing, but you get their drift.

Once again Kerry tries to steal one of President Bush's initiatives, but for wholly different reasons.