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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Iran-US dialogue imminent - expert |
| 2009-01-30 |
| An eminent Iranian analyst said Tehran has begun sounding out a group of experts on a range of topics in preparation for possible face-to-face talks with the Americans. This is the latest sign that a possible improvement in the relations between Tehran and Washington is on the horizon. At the same time, a British newspaper reported yesterday that the US administration of Barack Obama is drafting a letter to Iran aiming to pave the way for direct talks between the two countries at odds for nearly three decades. "The Iranian leadership," Iranian analysts Mash Allah Shams Al Wa'etheen said "is grouping a higher committee of senior negotiators in different fields such as international relations, law, bilateral relations, [and] other issues, including the Arab-Israeli conflict and the American influence in Iraq& " in preparation for a possible dialogue with the US. Speaking to Gulf News Al Wa'etheen, an advisor to the Tehran-based Middle East Centre for Strategic Studies, predicted the way ahead of the dialogue as "very rough", adding it "will be the biggest in the history of the bilateral relations," and will deal with a "package" of issues rather than individual topics. He noted that indirect talks between the two sides have been with Iranian mediators in the US or other mediators in the Middle East, particularly Iraq." The two sides had held several sessions of direct talks in Iraq in the last couple of years. According to the Iranian analyst's expectation, a direct Iranian-American dialogue might start after three to four months from now, and specifically after the upcoming Iranian presidential elections this spring. Meanwhile, the British Guardian newspaper reported yesterday that officials of US President Barack Obama's administration are drafting a letter to Iran from the president aimed at unfreezing US-Iranian relations and opening the way for face-to-face talks. It was a response to a letter of congratulations sent by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad after Obama's poll victory. The letter gives assurances that Washington does not want to overthrow the Iranian administration, but instead seeks changes in its behaviour. It would be addressed to the Iranian people and sent directly to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, or released as an open letter. The US State Department has been working on drafts of the letter since Obama was elected last November, the report said. However, a State Department official was quoted as saying the policy on Iran is under review at the moment, but "no decision on any specific policy initiative has yet been made by the State Department," the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, was quoted by the news agencies. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #4 OTOH, WAFF > IRAN TO SET UP/BUILD AN "IMPENETRABLE LINE OF DEFENSE" ALONG COAST OF OMAN [Eastern Gulf = Sea of Hormuz]. IRAN IRGC NAVY desires to STOP USN AIRCRAFT CARRIERS = CBG's, USMC EBG/ARG's from entering the PERSIAN GULF + HORMUZ REGION AT WILL [See CHINA's PLAN + TAIWAN + ANTI-USN/CARRIER STRATEGIES]. * READ - IOW, IRAN [as per CHIN PLA/PLAN]HAS OR INTENDS TO ACQUIRE LR BALLISTIC + TLCMS + OTHER. SUB-IOW, FUTURE NUCLEAR ISLAMIST IRAN DESIRES US-ALLIES [Israel]WILL NOT BE ABLE TO MIL ATTACK, INVADE AND OCCUPY IRAN PROPER UNLESS ARE WILLING TO ENGAGE IN [mutually destructive]NUCLEAR WARFARE [including PROXY NUCLEAR-WMD TERROR]. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2009-01-30 21:29 |
| #3 All Iran wants is 1) a free hand to kill Israelis, 2) a nuclear bomb, 3) a free hand to be a terrorist state, and, apparently, 4) an apology from Obama for humiliation. Anyone can do this, its just the prior Presidents said "Go Butt a Stump!" Is "O" so weak that he will say "Yes". |
| Posted by: whatadeal 2009-01-30 15:42 |
| #2 I'd love to have a talk with them, I'd splain it to them in very unambiguous terms. We still have a few sticks left in the closet. We could let Israel off the chain for one thing. |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2009-01-30 08:30 |
| #1 Iran see Bambi as a soft touch! |
| Posted by: Paul2 2009-01-30 07:36 |