The Belgravia Dispatch: The No-Brainer Caucus

January 23, 2007

The No-Brainer Caucus

Couldn't agree more w/ Steve here, but re: this post he should note that Kissinger has been on the public record calling for talks w/ Iran since (at very least) May 16th '06 (more here). It's nothing new.

Frankly, I've lost track of how many leading Republican foreign policy players are calling for us to have a go at trying to 'flip' the Syrians, while testing the Iranians to see if they'd reject coming to the table w/ us for high-level direct talks (they'd thereby risk showcasing their rejectionism at a sensitive time on the UNSC front, risking even greater isolation if they refuse sincere entreaties for genuine dialogue). But our Secretary of State doesn't know how to combine strategy w/ deal-making, it seems, so no go on these no-brainer fronts.

P.S. And no, it's not just Lugar, and Kissinger, and Hagel, and Haass, and Armitage, and James Baker, and so on and on among thinking Republicans. Our Kurdish friend Talabani is urging us to talk to Damascus too:

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said in remarks aired on Sunday he will push for dialogue between the United States and neighbouring Syria, which he said was helping Baghdad clamp down on terrorism.
Talabani, who paid a landmark visit to Syria earlier this month, said he had not received any request to mediate between Damascus and Washington from either nation.

But, "I personally will seek to give a true picture about Syria's intentions and policy to the U.S. administration and I will seek to encourage our American friends to have a dialogue with Syria," he told Al Arabiya television.

But Condi sez diplomacy isn't deal-making....

Posted by Gregory at January 23, 2007 03:46 AM

Comments

To be fair, Talabani's PUK has been close with Tehran for many years, all the way back to Iran-Iraq War days when they fought with the Iranians against Iraq. Talabani is on record as saying that he planned operations with Iranian President Ahmedinejad, who was an IRGC commando operator back in the day.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iranians16jan16,0,782236,full.story

Posted by: tequila at January 23, 2007 10:48 AM | Permalink to this comment

I see a way out of the impasse. We all remember how table tennis provided an opening with China. Today, the Cheney administration has an even greater enthusiasism for a sport that's also admired in Tehran and Damascus -- torture. Since we've already shipped at least one guy to Syria for a work-over, we know that the shared fondness for torture has already opened some channels between the ostensibly hostile governments. Can't Cher Condi build on this relationship, and forge a new diplomacy based on mutual devotion to fingernail pulling, and the shared loathing of liberals and dissenters?

Posted by: sglover at January 23, 2007 03:29 PM | Permalink to this comment

Posted by: sglover at January 23, 2007 03:34 PM | Permalink to this comment

	« Diplomacy 101 \| Main \| The Sad State of McCain » January 23, 2007 The No-Brainer Caucus Couldn't agree more w/ Steve here, but re: this post he should note that Kissinger has been on the public record calling for talks w/ Iran since (at very least) May 16th '06 (more here). It's nothing new. Frankly, I've lost track of how many leading Republican foreign policy players are calling for us to have a go at trying to 'flip' the Syrians, while testing the Iranians to see if they'd reject coming to the table w/ us for high-level direct talks (they'd thereby risk showcasing their rejectionism at a sensitive time on the UNSC front, risking even greater isolation if they refuse sincere entreaties for genuine dialogue). But our Secretary of State doesn't know how to combine strategy w/ deal-making, it seems, so no go on these no-brainer fronts. P.S. And no, it's not just Lugar, and Kissinger, and Hagel, and Haass, and Armitage, and James Baker, and so on and on among thinking Republicans. Our Kurdish friend Talabani is urging us to talk to Damascus too: Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said in remarks aired on Sunday he will push for dialogue between the United States and neighbouring Syria, which he said was helping Baghdad clamp down on terrorism. Talabani, who paid a landmark visit to Syria earlier this month, said he had not received any request to mediate between Damascus and Washington from either nation. But, "I personally will seek to give a true picture about Syria's intentions and policy to the U.S. administration and I will seek to encourage our American friends to have a dialogue with Syria," he told Al Arabiya television. But Condi sez diplomacy isn't deal-making.... Posted by Gregory at January 23, 2007 03:46 AM Comments To be fair, Talabani's PUK has been close with Tehran for many years, all the way back to Iran-Iraq War days when they fought with the Iranians against Iraq. Talabani is on record as saying that he planned operations with Iranian President Ahmedinejad, who was an IRGC commando operator back in the day. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iranians16jan16,0,782236,full.story Posted by: tequila at January 23, 2007 10:48 AM \| Permalink to this comment I see a way out of the impasse. We all remember how table tennis provided an opening with China. Today, the Cheney administration has an even greater enthusiasism for a sport that's also admired in Tehran and Damascus -- torture. Since we've already shipped at least one guy to Syria for a work-over, we know that the shared fondness for torture has already opened some channels between the ostensibly hostile governments. Can't Cher Condi build on this relationship, and forge a new diplomacy based on mutual devotion to fingernail pulling, and the shared loathing of liberals and dissenters? Posted by: sglover at January 23, 2007 03:29 PM \| Permalink to this comment I see a way out of the impasse. We all remember how table tennis provided an opening with China. Today, the Cheney administration has an even greater enthusiasism for a sport that's also admired in Tehran and Damascus -- torture. Since we've already shipped at least one guy to Syria for a work-over, we know that the shared fondness for torture has already opened some channels between the ostensibly hostile governments. Can't Cher Condi build on this relationship, and forge a new diplomacy based on mutual devotion to fingernail pulling, and the shared loathing of liberals and dissenters? Posted by: sglover at January 23, 2007 03:34 PM \| Permalink to this comment		About Belgravia Dispatch Gregory Djerejian, an international lawyer and business executive, comments intermittently on global politics, finance & diplomacy at this site. 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