Posted on 12/04/2005 12:58:00 AM PST by F14 Pilot
President George W Bush has authorised his ambassador in Baghdad to talk to Iranian officials about the security crisis in Iraq in a move which suggests that America is adopting a less confrontational approach towards its old enemy.
Although America has not had diplomatic relations with the clerical regime since the United States embassy in Teheran was stormed in 1979, Zalmany Khalilzad has been given permission to talk to his Iranian counterparts about the Iraqi insurgency and border security.
Iran is widely blamed for destabilising Iraq by backing fellow Shia armed factions and allowing weapons and fighters to cross its border. Britain believes that bombs being used to kill British soldiers are made in Iran.
The American initiative, a further indication that the secretary of state Condoleezza Rice's more moderate diplomacy has replaced the hardline foreign policy of Mr Bush's first term, follows another recent shift of tactics towards Iran.
For the first time, America is offering active support to European and Russian officials in their efforts to end the deadlock with Iran over its nuclear programme, after previously adopting a hands-off approach - to the alarm of prominent neo-conservatives who back regime change in Iran.
They believe that given Iran's track record of duplicity in international negotiations, talks will be futile and interpreted as a sign of American weakness.
Their fears will have been bolstered by the response in Iran. Sadegh Zibakalam, a pro-regime political analyst, said that the move reflected the Bush administration's problems and showed that America was unable to establish security and stability in Iraq.
"It's hard to imagine what President Bush expects to gain from talks with the Iranians," said Michael Ledeen, an Iran expert at the American Enterprise Institute, a leading conservative think-tank.
"The Islamic republic will never do anything to help us, our soldiers, or our allies. The Iranians themselves have no doubt of their role in the world: they see themselves as our gravediggers."
• A Briton of Iraqi origin sent by Muslim and anti-war groups to help to negotiate the release of four peace activists taken hostage in Baghdad began yesterday to try to make contact with the kidnappers.
Anas Altikriti was dispatched as the group holding Norman Kember, 74, of London, two Canadians and an American threatened to execute them by Thursday.
Ahhhh geeeeeezzz
Talks? Ain't but one thing to say: "Act right or die, camel jock."
Russia's weapons sales to Iran are purely for defensive purposes, a government spokesman said Saturday, in response to reports that Russia was selling $1 billion worth of weapons to Iran. The news reports said Russian was selling Iran advanced missiles and other systems, but the Foreign Ministry spokesman, Mikhail Kamynin, did not comment on specifics, saying in a statement only that they were "exclusively defensive weapons."
30 Tor-M1 missile systems to Iran over the next two years.
The Interfax news agency said the Tor-M1 system could identify up to 48 targets and fire at two targets simultaneously at a height of up to 20,000 feet.
Why, yes, we're more than happy to follow the British way in negotiating with the Iranian leadership. Relax, Britain, and have a lime.
New Iran missiles can reach London
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1227123/posts
[Israel] Air Force successfully tests Arrow Scud buster
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1532753/posts
Russia annoyed at Poland missile shield plan: paper
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1533462/posts
"President George W Bush has authorised his ambassador in Baghdad to talk to Iranian officials about the security crisis in Iraq in a move which suggests that America is adopting a less confrontational approach towards its old enemy."
This is essentially untrue. They are laying the grounds necessitated by International law, and the rules which exist between nations concerning illegal cross border traffiking in arms and explosives as well as Islamofascist insurgeants. Any nation has the right to use force in order to secure its borders. Secondly any nation , has the right of hot pursuit of criminals into the territory of its neigbor, if the neighbor harbors or abetts and aids the criminal activity.
The Iranians are now trying to solve the export of arms , explosives and Islamofascist personnel through diplomacy. This is a requirement of International law. If the traffik cannot be stopped through diplomatic means it will be necessary to use military fdorce , NOT JUST AT THE BORDER BUT INSIDE OF IRAN.
We are now seeing the beginning steps being taken in a run up to war between Iraq and Iran.The US will stand by the defence of Iraq. If the Iranians are intelligent about it, they will halt the export of military ordnance and terrorists to Iraq, or suffer UN sanctions and finally, military destruction if necessary.
This is hardly what one would call a "less confrontational approach." Just as Iraq was given every opportunity to
comply with its international obligations before the invasion, so will Iran have that opportunity. I would give them about a year or maybe less.
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