Key U.S. lawmaker calls for new approach to Russia

Reuters ^ | January 14, 2009 | Susan Cornwell

[Tailgunner Joe]

The United States must fix its relationship with Russia partly because it needs a partner in Moscow to help deal with Iran, the chairman of the House of Representatives foreign policy committee said on Wednesday.

In an interview with Reuters, Rep. Howard Berman also embraced a priority of his Senate counterpart, Sen. John Kerry, to increase non-military U.S. aid to Pakistan as part of a strategy to help stabilize that country. ....

A key goal of Berman's is to beef up U.S. diplomacy and foreign aid, which he said had been eroded and militarized in recent years.

The California congressman called for a fresh U.S. approach to Russia, where he said the Bush administration had "stovepiped" -- or kept separate -- different, sometimes conflicting issues without deciding what was most important.

For example, the Bush administration had sought Moscow's cooperation on pressing Iran not to develop nuclear weapons -- but simultaneously angered Moscow by pushing to deploy a missile defense system near Russia's borders to shoot down any missiles fired by Iran.

"To what extent is one (U.S. policy) offsetting the other?" Berman asked. "What is our priority?"

"To have an effective strategy on Iran, we are going to need Russia as a partner," Berman told Reuters. "I do think we need some fundamental course corrections here, and I think the new administration shares that view." ....

Sen. Hillary Clinton, Obama's nominee for secretary of state, said on Tuesday that if confirmed she would work to engage the Russians -- with whom she wanted to revive a key nuclear arms treaty -- as well as Iran. ....

Clinton also said the Obama administration would seek to create "better coalitions with countries that we believe also have a big stake in preventing Iran from becoming a nuclear weapon power."

[tommyboy]

This way they can screw us AND take our money.

[Thunder90]

More appeasement. I bet that any deal by Russia to help us with Iran that will be made also requires us to not go forward with NMD and to deny Ukraine of NATO membership

[Tarpon]

Hey, let Russia build us a gas pipeline too.

[EQAndyBuzz]

“For example, the Bush administration had sought Moscow’s cooperation on pressing Iran not to develop nuclear weapons — but simultaneously angered Moscow by pushing to deploy a missile defense system near Russia’s borders to shoot down any missiles fired by Iran.”

So now we will leave the Soviet Union... err Russia alone so they can help Iran develop their nuke faster....

Oh, and we will de-fund and dismantle the missile defense system.

That is good diplomacy. barf

[Navy Patriot]

Putin is gonna have some fun soon.

[kingpins9]

America needs a partnew to help deal with Iran?! The Russians are supplying Iran! That’s rediculous.

[Red6]

What new approach can there be? Can missile defense? Make no statements when Russia invaded Georgia? Support Russian arms exports to Iran, Syria, N. Korea, or Venezuela? Help them bully former states by cutting off gas in the winter? Apologize for them having military advisers and delivering arms to Iraq right until the ground campaign began? Maybe we should ask for forgiveness that they are the ones building the reactor in Iran? Were we too hard when we said something about the trail of death in Europe when they purged former dissidents or political figures? What are we at fault for Reuters? I'm sure it's all our fault and we can fix it with hope and change and speaking to them. If we just had more intellect then we too would see the light. It's just that American Cowboys fault."