Source:
The GuardianA group of influential Democratic senators led by John Kerry today called for a "limited diplomatic presence" by the US in Iran, and urged the Bush administration to engage the Tehran regime and reach out to the Iranian people.
In a letter to President Bush, the senators back the establishment of a US interests section in Iran, which would be the first US diplomatic presence in the country since the 1979 hostage crisis at the US embassy in Tehran.
"We know that a hands-off approach has isolated us and strengthened Iran," Senator Kerry of Massachusetts said today. "The administration's decision to reverse course and join direct talks with Tehran is the right one, however late."
In addition to Kerry, the letter was signed by Carl Levin of Michigan, Patrick Leahy of Vermont, Russ Feingold of Wisconsin, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Diane Feinstein of California and Patty Murray of Washington. Kerry and Feingold sit on the Senate foreign relations committee.
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jul/24/usa.iran