Iran says ready to cooperate with U.S. on Afghanistan

[bemildred]

Source: Reuters

Iran said on Saturday it would consider a U.S. invitation to take part in a meeting on Afghanistan and it was ready to offer any help to its neighbor.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Thursday that President Barrack Obama's government intended to invite Iran to an international conference on Afghanistan planned for this month.

"If America and European countries and others need to use Iran, they should give us (the invitation). We will review it with the approach that we are ready to offer any help to Afghanistan," Iranian government spokesman Gholamhossein Elham told a news conference. Obama, in a turnaround from Bush administration policy, has said the United States wants to engage Iran on a range of issues. The conference invitation would be the start of diplomatic initiative to Tehran.

Clinton proposed the conference, which brings in Afghanistan's other neighbours including Pakistan and other players, would take place on March 31.

Read more: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1069212.html

[ohio2007]

1. This is good news unless...numerous strings are attached

Iran needs to abide by the Russian plan to keep with the power plant agreement.

Maybe putting police in Hemland province as "agriculture inspectors" would be a thought. The Afghan opium drug trade hurts Iranian addicts more then any other country.
jmo

[lsewpershad]

2. Good news indeed

[bemildred]

4. I expect there will be a lot of haggling.

However Iran no more wants a mess in Afghanistan than we do, so there is some common ground to work with. The Russians have a part to play too. Now that Pakistan is about to disintegrate, maybe the various parties can put their differences aside long-enough to concentrate on the mess Bush created.

[ohio2007]

5. just a thought

How are the mullahs going to explain to dumb asses they are working with 'the great satan' after 30 years of "properly educating" dumb asses ?

Maybe censorship is a strong tool they hold.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/06/shoe-protes...

[bemildred]

6. An amusing question.

I don't believe their police state is all that efficient, not for want of trying, and their time to "spend more time with their families" will come, perhaps quite soon.

"An Iranian website, Urumiye News, reported that a shoe was hurled at the president as his convoy drove through a central square. Security guards waded into the crowds but failed to find the culprit.

A hat was also thrown in Ahmadinejad's direction before his car sped away."

[babylonsister]

3. Rec'd! That dreaded diplomacy might actually work?! nt

[bahrbearian]

7. Does this mean Clinton is going to negotiate with a Terrorist State?

[Tim01]

8. So who's side are we on this week?

I can never keep up. It changes so quickly and our govt says one thing in public and does the opposite in private.
It might actually be cheaper to just abandon the whole area,let them work out who in charge, then pay whatever they want for the oil.

[Hulk]

9. UNreal....no matter how it turns out!!

We actually have the Iranians PUBLICLY showing a willingness to assist the USA with this nightmare?? I am shocked and THRILLED!!

Think back just a few short months ago to when we were nearly DAILY threatening to blow their asses up because the neocons wanted COMPLETE control of Iraq. My, what a little diplomacy will do. I guess that means calling someone "the axis of evil" and threatening their lives daily isn't up to being as productive as respect and dialog.

God, what bush could have done with a little intelligence.

[Turborama]

10. K&R for a very interesting development n/t

[sutz12]

11. Interesting development....

Look at a map. The bad guys have just about closed the Khyber Pass. Now we're talking about supplying Afghanistan through Russia and the 'Stans. Iran is a much shorter path.

And as was said above, Iran is very worried about Afghanistan. It's on their border. IIRC, they were actually somewhat helpful in the inital Afghan campaign, up until Bush included them in his "Axis of Evil" bullshit.

I expect there will be a lot of tough negotiations on this one. It's been a lo-o-o-n-n-n-n-g time since we've had any dialog with them. Long past time to start.

[Uncle Joe]

12. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, bemildred.