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Last update - 10:18 05/12/2007
ANALYSIS / Time has come for U.S. to pursue talks with Iran
By Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Iranian nuclear program, Iran 

The American intelligence report that makes the option of a military strike against Iran - and possibly the next dose of sanctions - less likely to materialize gives us an important time-out to try a new avenue vis-a-vis the Islamic Republic.

That route would center on diplomacy aimed at neutralizing Tehran's motivation to further pursue the development of nuclear arms. For some time now, Iran has held an internal debate - which sometimes reaches the Iranian media - on how far Tehran can go in defying international pressure to abandon its nuclear program.

On the one hand, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says that there is no reason to fear American pressure as the U.S. is unable to attack Iran due to the Iraq imbroglio and resistance from Arab nations.
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Reformist leaders such as former presidents Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mohammed Khatami, on the other hand, are saying the American threat should not be taken lightly, and that the U.S. could strike after all.

The conflict between these two political factions manifested itself in October with the dismissal of Iran's former secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani - who was also the Iranian nuclear program's chief negotiator.

The reformists are also in favor of pursuing a dialogue with the U.S., and they seek to broaden these discussions to other issues such as Iran's desire to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

The American interest in talks with Iran stems from the fact that it was not only Tehran that was pleased by the intelligence report. Russia, too, was no less satisfied. After all, Russia under President Vladimir Putin has supported the Iranians' position and initiated proposals to dampen American and French pressure.

Russia is currently building the nuclear facility at Bushehr, which serves and will serve as the infrastructure for Iran's nuclear drive. Now the stain of Russia's refusenik status, bent on going against the U.S., will be removed. And by an American report. Iran is a key state for Washington if the U.S. is to achieve its Middle East policies because of Tehran's involvement in the political crisis in Lebanon, its close ties with Syria and Turkey and its influence on Iraq and other issues.

For the Americans, the trick now will be to find the right leverage to open up a channel of negotiations - which could deprive Russia of its virtual monopoly on ties and influence on Iran. Those who wish to avoid a nuclear Iran better heed those within the Islamic Republic who are seeking to engage in dialogue - especially in light of the assumption that Iran will continue its efforts to obtain nuclear weapons.

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      1.   diplomatic solutions are clear. 04:05  |  Pablo B 05/12/07
      2.   talks with iran 04:16  |  Shmuelshachor 05/12/07
      3.   #2 Shmuelshachor - reliving decades old battles 06:48  |  Pablo B 05/12/07
      4.   Historical Repeat 07:06  |  ATLAS 05/12/07
      5.   greatly presumes iranian interest in such talks 07:21  |  josef cohen 05/12/07
      6.   Pablo Re-living History # 3 07:22  |  Eli 05/12/07
      7.   ZVI BAR`EL`S WISHFUL THINKING 07:24  |  indrajaya 05/12/07
      8.   Diplomacy And Influence? 07:32  |  Yosemite 05/12/07
      9.   No one asks why oil-rich Iran needs nuclear power 07:33  |  Gili 05/12/07
      10.   Time has come for Iran to talk to Israel 08:02  |  Joe Sittizen 05/12/07
      11.   On neutralizing Tehran`s motivation 09:11  |  Clickfool 05/12/07
      12.   Israel can and will destroy iranian nuclear threat 09:23  |  Vitaly 05/12/07
      13.   Question for Vitaly # 12 10:00  |  Clickfool 05/12/07
      14.   Talks with Iran should come with actions on the Occupation 10:06  |  Ivar 05/12/07
      15.   #11, "Iran, rightly, wants a nuclear deterrent 10:07  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 05/12/07
      16.   #12 You are out of touch with reality 10:18  |  Atoo Landarv 05/12/07
      17.   Idiot Barel wants US to sacrifice Israel to appease Iran 10:18  |  Absolute Sweden 05/12/07
      18.   # 12, VITALY 10:28  |  indrajaya 05/12/07
      19.   Vitaly- just like lebanon 2006, eh? 10:32  |  vinny 05/12/07
      20.   #9 Gili 10:49  |  Fadly 05/12/07
      21.   Talks with Iran 11:02  |  Wily 05/12/07
      22.   #10 Joe Sittizen 11:08  |  Fadhil 05/12/07
      23.   #12 -It is not the Nukes... 11:13  |  Nabil 05/12/07
      24.   Delusional, suicidal Vitaly 11:36  |  spyguy 05/12/07
      25.   The US/Israel have nothing to offer Iran 11:45  |  spyguy 05/12/07
      26.   WILL talks stop Shiite imperialism to impose Shia rule on Sunnis 11:54  |  PETER S .M. 05/12/07
      27.   Gili on Irans need for nuclear power and other stuff#9 12:15  |  Hubal 05/12/07
      28.   No one asks why oil-rich Iran needs nuclear power??? 12:30  |  Davids 05/12/07
      29.   talking with Iran 12:46  |  ka 05/12/07
      30.   For Cipora # 15 13:08  |  Clickfool 05/12/07
      31.   #23 ~Nabil. Fair summary 13:38  |  Hubal 05/12/07
      32.   Clickfool 13:38  |  Nasib 05/12/07
      33.   Read my lips: Israel can and will destroy iranian nuclear threat 13:39  |  Vitaly 05/12/07
      34.   one more comment 13:43  |  Vitaly 05/12/07
      35.   Time to Engage Iran 13:48  |  Jane 05/12/07
      36.   Clickfool 14:00  |  James 05/12/07
      37.   Stop sanction now 14:07  |  Dav 05/12/07
      38.   Key to Iran is via Annapolis 14:10  |  Iranian-American 05/12/07
      39.   US COngress in deep trouble....i.e Israel in deep trouble 14:13  |  Iranian-American 05/12/07
      40.   Exceptionalism- #11 Clickfool re Cipora 14:23  |  Dorothy 05/12/07
      41.   Talking with Fanatics 14:31  |  Brod 05/12/07
      42.   For Nasib # 32 14:33  |  Clickfool 05/12/07
      43.   For Vitaly # 33 14:36  |  Clickfool 05/12/07
      44.   For James # 36 14:40  |  Clickfool 05/12/07
      45.   For Brod # 41 14:42  |  Clickfool 05/12/07
      46.   If America had statesmen, there could be peace with Iran, and.... 14:44  |  Toronto`s Finest 05/12/07
      47.   To Clickfool 14:47  |  Vitaly 05/12/07
      48.   Clickfool #45 14:53  |  Brod 05/12/07
      49.   Toronto #46 Peaceful overtures? 14:59  |  Brod 05/12/07
      50.   General Vitaly n command 15:02  |  Iranian-American 05/12/07
      51.   @48 Brod 15:08  |  Mark B. 05/12/07
      52.   Effect of sanctions on Iran 15:16  |  Iranian-American 05/12/07
      53.   Brod #46 War is for losers. 15:39  |  Hubal 05/12/07
      54.   For Vitaly # 47 15:45  |  Clickfool 05/12/07
      55.   There will be no Munich for Tehran 15:46  |  Jonathan S 05/12/07
      56.   For Brod # 48 15:53  |  Clickfool 05/12/07
      57.   # 49.Bored.FYI Iran had huge crowds in sympathy for USA on 9/11 15:58  |  Toronto`s Finest 05/12/07
      58.   Israel must pay tribute to Ahmadinejad 16:24  |  Herbert Kaine 05/12/07
      59.   The Dialogue Should be With Russia, Not Necessarily With Iran 16:42  |  Eli 05/12/07
      60.   Unless Israel and the Jewish Lobby agree 16:54  |  El-Birawi 05/12/07
      61.   Hubal #53 17:01  |  Brod 05/12/07
      62.   Mark B #51 17:04  |  Brod 05/12/07
      63.   Cipora #15 re: Clickfool 17:09  |  American in NY 05/12/07
      64.   Clickfool #56 17:25  |  Brod 05/12/07
      65.   Diplomacy with Iran hopeless; talk to Syria 17:37  |  Tosefta 05/12/07
      66.   To # 58 17:47  |  The Teacher/Instruct 05/12/07
      67.   time has come....................... 17:49  |  ravi 05/12/07
      68.   the time has come .... 17:51  |  ravi 05/12/07
      69.   the time has come .... 17:53  |  ravi 05/12/07
      70.   American in NY #63 (intrusion) 17:53  |  S 05/12/07
      71.   Clickfool # 56 On Myths and Legends 17:58  |  Eli 05/12/07
      72.   Start talking, today is better than tomorrow 18:00  |  Jacob Blues 05/12/07
      73.   Brod. You fit the definition precisely. 18:01  |  Hubal 05/12/07
      74.   U.S. & Iran 19:04  |  P. J. Casey 05/12/07
      75.   #73 This is not what Jesus called for 19:17  |  Mike the American 05/12/07
      76.   Mike the Yank 19:39  |  Albert Seligman 05/12/07
      77.   For Bible Brod, on kangaroos # 64 19:50  |  Clickfool 05/12/07
      78.   Iranian-Americans - Americans and Congress 20:04  |  Mark Lincoln 05/12/07
      79.   Davids - Why nuclear power 20:07  |  Mark Lincoln 05/12/07
      80.   Time to Engage Iran - Jane 20:14  |  Mark Lincoln 05/12/07
      81.