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Last update - 03:33 21/12/2008
U.S. congressman: Give talks with Iran no more than 3 months
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: iran nuclear, israel news 

The Obama administration should devote no more than about three months to dialogue with Iran, the chairman of the United States' House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, Howard Berman, has told Haaretz.

Berman says that if negotiations fail, the United States will have to "buy in for a crippling level of sanctions."

A California Democrat, Berman came to Israel last week to meet with government leaders and take part in discussions at Tel Aviv's National Institute for Security Studies, which focused on U.S.-Israel relations after the political transitions in both countries.
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Berman says President-elect Barack Obama's policy of dialogue with Iran should be conducted quickly to prevent the Islamic Republic from attaining a nuclear capability.

"If the goal is to keep them from being a nuclear-weapons-capable state you cannot let dialogue become a trap that goes on and on and allows them to enrich and expand their centrifuges and who knows what they are doing with weaponization that is easier to conceal," Berman said. "You cannot talk about a longer dialogue than eight to 12 weeks."

Berman said "pulling together key parties" to support sanctions involving bilateral trade and refined oil products would work on Tehran because "it is sensitive to public opinion." He added: "It is a lot different than what we are doing now¬ certain people can't fly, and minor sanctions on certain kinds of nuclear-related technologies."

Berman says the Bush administration's major mistake was that it did not unite the international community against Iran, and that dialogue with Iran will be another chance to do so.

Russia he said, was key in this respect. He criticized the Bush administration for "not prioritizing Iran" among the issues the United States has with Russia. "The Russians fully well know how important that is for us, and at the same time watch us pushing policies that they deeply resent ¬ in the content of the deployment of the (missile defense) system without the collaboration with them that they felt entitled to get. I think when you look at all issues together, the potential of nuclear cooperation with Russia is big."

Berman suggested that modifying the missile defense system's terms of deployment could increase cooperation with Russia. "I don't know, but I think there is a chance to get a level of cooperation. It's hard for me to believe they want to see Iran get nuclear weapons," Berman said.

He added that one proposal on the table was to allow the Russians to place monitors at missile bases to show them that the system was not directed against them, but against Iran.

Related articles:
  • Iran rejects Barack Obama's 'failed' carrot and stick policy
  • Iran sees Obama as worthy leader, but is it enough?
  • Obama's atomic umbrella: U.S. nuclear strike if Iran nukes Israel

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      1.   Berman`s right -- no later than March, 2009 02:33  |  disgusted american 21/12/08
      2.   After 3 months, would you resume the policy of barking against Ir 03:42  |  Aounist 21/12/08
      3.   3 months talk or what? 03:44  |  Mick 21/12/08
      4.   Oh yeah! 04:04  |  k 21/12/08
      5.   This is 04:21  |  JJ 21/12/08
      6.   Crippling sanctions? 04:30  |  An American 21/12/08
      7.   Great Idea! 04:41  |  GloomBoom.com 21/12/08
      8.   three months 06:34  |  Shmuelshachor 21/12/08
      9.   Mick 3 3 06:47  |  Walt 21/12/08
      10.   After three months, then what? 06:58  |  spyguy 21/12/08
      11.   No arbitrary deadline! 07:21  |  John 21/12/08
      12.   Crippling sanctions: No more cars from Detroit for Iran! 08:15  |  Andreas 21/12/08
      13.   IT SHOULD BE BASED ON MUTUAL RESPECT 09:00  |  indrajaya 21/12/08
      14.   BACK OFF 09:10  |  Enough! 21/12/08
      15.   Berman 09:29  |  Daniel Donaly 21/12/08
      16.   What do you want Berman to say? 09:39  |  RFE 21/12/08
      17.   #14, "CHANGE" 10:25  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 21/12/08
      18.   Iran will continue to filibuster 10:30  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 21/12/08
      19.   Absolute nonsense. Instead give Israel 3 months to go Saudi Plan 10:35  |  Ivar 21/12/08
      20.   Don`t Know If All Reports Are Accurate But... 10:40  |  Yosemite 21/12/08
      21.   Indy Iran is the biggest bully of all 11:51  |  x-ray 21/12/08
      22.   IVAR Absolute nonsense Ahmadinejad and the Saudi plan 12:22  |  PETER SM 21/12/08
      23.   Nothing short of a full embargo or blockade will work 12:43  |  David G 21/12/08
      24.   For David G # 23 13:00  |  Clickfool 21/12/08
      25.   For X-Ray # 21 13:03  |  Clickfool 21/12/08
      26.   Iran needs oil@90/barrel to break even.US cars are getting more 13:28  |  PETER SM 21/12/08
      27.   CJK - what are YOU goign to do after 3 months? 15:28  |  spyguy 21/12/08
      28.   To Clickfool- I was not suggesting anything... 16:06  |  David G 21/12/08
      29.   Berman: Even before I was Democrat, I was Zionist 16:19  |  shohun 21/12/08
      30.   War Hawk disses Bush 16:49  |  Mark Lincoln 21/12/08
      31.   x ray--- proof please 16:53  |  Head Honcho 21/12/08
      32.   Interesting Mr Democrat Berman... 17:22  |  Persian Kitty 21/12/08
      33.   David G to Clickfool 17:37  |  Persian Kitty 21/12/08
      34.   to disgusted american 17:37  |  job 21/12/08
      35.   "Crippling sanctions" now might change mullahs mind 18:08  |  Realist 21/12/08
      36.   Back off- It is not even off the ground 18:39  |  American 21/12/08
      37.   Iran 18:53  |  Joe Kelsall 21/12/08
      38.   Embargo 19:05  |  Dan 21/12/08
      39.   Persian Kitty: Um... What? 19:41  |  David G 21/12/08
      40.   Clickfool # 24 _ If You Think The Economic Problems Are Shaking 19:44  |  Eli 21/12/08
      41.   Persian Kitty: wishful thinking on your part 20:07  |  Darth Zaider (Ed) 21/12/08
      42.   The person calling himself head honcho asked a question 20:11  |  x-ray 21/12/08
      43.   Right About 1 Thing 20:25  |  Ron 21/12/08
      44.   Berman is correct, well sort of...... 21:05  |  tad chase 21/12/08
      45.   Typical Berman 21:06  |  W 21/12/08
      46.   persian kitty on berman 21:49  |  sharam 21/12/08
      47.   Agree totally 22:14  |  Gordon 21/12/08
      48.   Israel is the 51st State? 23:00  |  Mike 21/12/08
      49.   # 46 Sharam.... 23:01  |  allang 21/12/08
      50.   Tehran..... mother of all soft - shoe hurdles 23:33  |  allang 21/12/08
      51.   Here Persian Kitty, kitty, kitty......here kitty, kitty 23:46  |  tad chase 21/12/08
      52.   Gordon Ready to bomb Russia and Pakistan? 00:56  |  I 22/12/08
      53.   David G 01:14  |  Persian Kitty 22/12/08
      54.   David G - Part II 01:29  |  Persian Kitty 22/12/08
      55.   To Clickfool (#24, 25) 01:36  |  Morris Valentine 22/12/08
      56.   David G - Part III 01:47  |  Persian Kitty 22/12/08
      57.   to the kids up here 02:00  |  baba 22/12/08
      58.   to persian kitty 02:09  |  baba 22/12/08
      59.   Mo Valentine - re yours to the clickster 02:32  |  tad chase 22/12/08
      60.   Howard Who ?? 02:34  |  Saywhat 22/12/08
      61.   I Think We Should Take Iran`s Threats Seriously 04:39  |  Yosemite 22/12/08
      62.   When Obama strikes 06:19  |  The Prophet 22/12/08
      63.   nukes 06:44  |  Miron 22/12/08
      64.   Berman`s Xmas surprise 09:24  |  Ben 22/12/08
      65.   For Morris Valentine # 54 09:41  |  Clickfool 22/12/08
      66.   # 54 Morris Valentine 10:08  |  Nick Ferriman 22/12/08
      67.   Allan G 15:24  |  Persian Kitty 22/12/08
      68.   TaddyClause 15:45  |  Persian Kitty 22/12/08
      69.   Yosemite 15:54  |  Persian Kitty 22/12/08
      70.   Darth (Zaider) 16:02  |  Persian Kitty 22/12/08
      71.   To Clickfool (#65) 16:54  |  Morris Valentine 22/12/08
      72.   To Nick Ferriman (#66) 17:03  |  Morris Valentine 22/12/08
      73.   #71, Morris Valentine 08:25  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 23/12/08
      74.   #62 Wishful thinking 21:50  |  jax21 28/01/09
      75.   Nuclear Iran would deter Israeli-U.S. aggression 17:23  |  Mark Weaver 30/01/09
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