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US Democrats want talks with Iran
Democratic presidential contenders Bill Richardson and Hillary Clinton said on Wednesday the United States should keep talking to Iran as part of an international diplomatic effort to persuade Tehran to abandon its nuclear weapons program. Richardson, the governor of New Mexico and a former ambassador to the United Nations, said the United States should stop threatening Tehran and begin talks with no preconditions on its nuclear ambitions. Talking without preconditions does not mean backing off one inch over fundamental objectives, such as ensuring that Iran never acquires nuclear weapons, Richardson said in a speech to the Center for National Policy. In a separate speech, Clinton said the Bush administration, which has had minimal direct dealings with Iran, seems reluctant to continue engaging Tehran. She faulted the administration for giving Iran six years of the silent treatment. I think we should keep talking, the New York senator said at the Center for a New American Security, a new think tank. The biggest US challenge on the international front was restoring our leadership by once again valuing alliances, respecting our values, and understanding that American strength is more than just the show of force, she said. Iran has defied UN Security Council demands to halt all uranium enrichment activities, which can produce material for a nuclear weapon. The United States says Tehrans nuclear program is aimed at building bombs, but Tehran says it is designed to produce electricity so it can export more oil and gas. The Bush administration has refused to rule out military options to halt Irans nuclear weapon development. The message to the Iranians must be clear: work with the international community and you will be safe and prosperous. Continue to defy the international community and you will suffer economically and politically damaging international sanctions, Richardson said. Meanwhile, the United States asked Iran to live up to commitments to bring about a stable Iraq, saying it was critical for resuming a dialogue with Tehran on Iraqi security, the State Department said Wednesday. It was responding to Iraqi requests for such a meeting, first held in May. Tehran has said it was awaiting a US response on resuming the dialogue. Well take a look and see when a meeting is appropriate but it is important for Iran to follow through on its stated desire to have a more stable Iraq and today, their activities remain in distinct contradiction to that stated goal, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters. Iran and the United States had their highest-level contact in 27 years on May 28 when US ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker met Iranian ambassador Hassan Kazemi in Baghdad for talks limited to the security situation in Iraq. Although Washington has not set any hard benchmarks for resumption of the talks with Iran, it is one of those decisions where policymakers will take a look, see whether conditions are appropriate for a meeting, McCormack said. As I have said, the Iranians really have not followed through so much on what they said theyll do, he added. Posted by: Fred 2007-06-29 |
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