For the first time in over two decades officials from Iran and the United States will hold high-level talks. The subject of discussion: Iraq. The Iranians and the US are seeking a meeting of the minds to settle the issue of Iraq, coming to an agreement on the future of that country and its relationship with its powerful neighbor. The US, realizes Iran holds considerable influence with the majority Shia population in Iraq and if Iran can be brought into the fold, perhaps there is hope that an Iraqi civil war can be averted. Not that the mullahs of Tehran can be expected to embrace reason.

The talks have not come without limitations. According to the White House, these talks will be strictly limited to the subject of Iraq. There will be no discussions of Iran’s nuclear program. Why? Even during the height of the cold war, the US and the Soviet Union continued to engage one another. If Iran is truly the great threat Bush claims, then why ignore the Iranians?

Once again an opportunity is lost. Had the United States engaged Iran directly on the nuclear issue two years ago, perhaps the threat of Iranian nuclear weapons could have been averted. Instead, the US has rested its hopes in the EU3 (Britain, France and Germany).

The US must and should engage Iran directly, not only on the subject of Iraq, but nuclear weapons and terrorism. There is but one thing the Iranians will respect: force and the threat of force. The Iranians have nothing to fear from Europe and will continue to demand concessions from these appeasers. Sadly, Bush will stubbornly refuse to sit down with the Iranians and thus a grand opportunity to avert disaster will be lost.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4813048.stm