US and Iran open Afghanistan peace talks

[bemildred]

Source: Times.UK

IRANIAN and American officials have held their first talks about ending the war in Afghanistan amid signs that President Barack Obama’s efforts to thaw relations with Tehran are paying off.

While television cameras focused on Obama in Washington during the unveiling of his strategy for Afghanistan last Friday, US and Iranian diplomats were holding a remarkable meeting in Moscow.

The Russian initiative brought together Patrick Moon, the US diplomat in charge of south and central Asia, and Mehdi Akhundzadeh, Iran’s deputy foreign minister, as well as a British diplomat who has been acting as a mediator.

“We’ve turned a page to have Iranians and Americans at the same table all discussing Afghanistan,” Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, told delegates.

Read more: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article5993094.ece

[EFerrari]

1. So apparently that story about Iran blowing off Obama was a crock.

Good!

[Posteritatis]

5. There's the rhetoric and there's the action

If things improve in real terms, I don't think that'll prevent the US and Iran from condemning one another as existential threats to the universe itself - at first, at least.

Folks do love their theatrics. A meeting of two officials who're just below cabinet-level is worth more than any number of histrionic public statements, really.

[EFerrari]

8. My best prep for politics was a degree in Theater.

You're right.

[elleng]

2. Excellent news!

.

[acmavm]

3. If Obama can pull off a coup here and broker a deal that will enable

the US and NATO to pull out of Afganistan (honorably), with the help of the (evil) Iranians no less, it will absolutely knock the socks off of this country and I think heads of state everywhere. And the location of the meeting, Moscow? Wow, he's even got the Russian's help. That in itself is quite impressive, at least it is to me.

He will, in my opinion (of course) earn himself enough politcal capital (as Chimpy used to say) that he will get a pass on practically everything else.

[jaysunb]

4. It's called "diplomacy"

a novel concept for some....:evilfrown:

[Tangerine LaBamba]

7. I don't think people have any idea

how fucking smart our President is.

We've had the phrase "smart President" beaten out of our vocabulary these past eight years.

I think Obama taking a lot of punches from people who don't understand how incredibly nuanced and sophisticated the actual business of governing really is. Again, for the past eight years, we've seen none of it...........................

[jaysunb]

12. Amen...

n/t

[Hippo_Tron]

14. I have a feeling he's told Mededvev privately that we're not continuing that missile defense shit

It's so refreshing to have leaders in the White House who don't promote a policy of "encircle Russia" just because they can't get over the Cold War.

[lonestarnot]

6. Woohoo! $13 billion a month!

Hope it works!

[Alamuti Lotus]

9. Nothing new actually

the Islamic Republic has long opposed the salafist wahhabi/deobandi trend next door and (for better or worse) collaborated against it, going back to before the Raygun days.

[EFerrari]

10. That's very true and BushCo had to work hard to fend off

all those gestures of goodwill and hints of co-operation.

We're lucky Cheney didn't blow both of us up.

[Posteritatis]

13. High-level US and Iranian diplomatic staff talking is *very* new (nt)

[Vattel]

11. Improving relations with Iran would be great;

unfortunately this has little to do with ending the war in Afghanistan. The Iranians have no leverage with the Taliban. Persian-speaking Tajiks in Afghanistan already hate the Taliban. Most of the Taliban are Pashto-speaking Pashtuns, and most Pashtuns are Sunni Muslims.

[ohio2007]

18. It's about supply routes as well as drug trafficking problems

they will share information and offer no retreat for the Talibans middle men.
btw
Iran still is still going to do whats in Irans best interest despite what Barack says publicly about certain issues;



Iranian missile experts in North Korea ahead of rocket launch
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25259115-601,00.html

[azurnoir]

15. We've turned a page is right

hopefully these talks go well

[Solly Mack]

16. K&R

[bottomtheweaver]

17. That's encouraging.

I think I'd trust the British mediator less than the Iranians but this seems like a step in the right direction.

[ohio2007]

19. Iran is fully prepared to participate in the projects aimed at combating drug trafficking

I would hope Iranian (police) booots on the ground in the hemland province will be allowed. It is the stronghold of the Taliban and key to the tri border drug trade

snip

Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, said Washington wanted Iranian help with border security and counter-narcotics operations. The emerging new US policy on Iran emphasises the search for common ground between the two countries, ...



snip

Iran has long sought recognition of, and help for, its struggle with drug traffickers along its long border with Afghanistan and Pakistan, which kills scores of troops and border police.

snip

Afghanistan's president, Hamid Karzai, said progress had already been made in curbing graft in his government, and pledged to take part in a new "compact" with the international community. This arrangement, laid out in the new US strategy, sets benchmarks for transparency and accountability as conditions for further aid.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3808352

[bemildred]

20. That could be really effective.

But who is going to fund the CIA now?

[bemildred]

21. China pledges $75 mln in aid for Afghanistan

THE HAGUE, March 31 (Xinhua) -- China announced on Tuesday that it would provide 75 million U.S. dollars of aid to Afghanistan in the next five years.

The pledge was announced by China's Deputy Foreign Minister Wu Dawei at an international conference on Afghanistan in The Hague.

Wu said China will continue to provide assistance in areas like capacity building at the request of the Afghan government and will continue to encourage Chinese enterprises to take part in Afghan reconstruction.

He also stressed the need to fight terrorism and to support the Aug. 20 presidential elections.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-04/01/content_11109513.htm

[fujiyama]

22. This must be driving Netanyahu crazy

I love it!

This is smart. I believe Iran and the US had some dialogue after 9/11 (or at least I believe Iran was looking to cooperate) concerning the Taliban, but Bush blew them off after the neocons threw a fit. Of course, soon after that Bush called them the axis of evil, that nut ase Ahmedenijad was brought to power...

[bemildred]

23. International conference stresses regional dimension of Afghanistan issue

THE HAGUE, March 31 (Xinhua) -- The international conference on Afghanistan in The Hague sought engagement of Afghanistan's neighbors, marking a shift of strategy of the West more than seven years into the war.

The regional dimension of the issue of Afghanistan became a keyword for Tuesday's conference, which brought together high-ranking officials from 72 countries and a dozen international organizations.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the Afghan problem cannot be solved without the engagement of all Afghanistan's neighbors.

She said narcotics, violent extremism, economic stagnation, water management, electrification and irrigation are all regional challenges that require a regional solution.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-04/01/content_11109898.htm