| NIAC Welcomes Second Round of US-Iran Talks |
| Written by NIAC | |
| Tuesday, 17 July 2007 | |
|
Contact: Trevor FitzGibbon Washington DC - NIAC welcomes the second round of US-Iran talks on the security situation in Iraq and calls for an expansion of the discussions to include issues of contention between the two countries. The talks should take place sooner rather than later in order to prevent the security situation in Iraq from deteriorating further. Through a robust diplomatic strategy, key American objectives in the region can be achieved. But the dialogue between the US and Iran currently faces two major challenges. First, the limited scope of the talks can only create limited progress. The diplomatic track must not ignore the rapidly deteriorating human rights situation in Iran. No sustainable and broad agreement between the United States and Iran can be achieved if the Iranian government continues to violate the human rights of its own nationals. "Diplomacy can only succeed if broadened," said Dr. Trita Parsi, NIAC President. "Tehran's arrest of the four Iranian Americans shows why limited talks cannot be successful. It's incomprehensible that the US has prevented itself from bringing up the question of its detained citizens in Iran by insisting on only discussing Iraqi security." Second, exaggerated expectations on what a few rounds of talks can achieve risks causing the premature dismissal of negotiations as an effective tool to advance US interests. "After 28 years of virtual diplomatic silence between the US and Iran, one cannot expect that two rounds of talks alone can resolve the complicated situation in Iraq," said Dokhi Fassihian, a Board member of the Council. "Diplomacy needs time to succeed." |
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|