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Bush's New Willingness to Negotiate
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02/28/07 10:31 AM ET
Though it may indeed be a game of chicken, the Bush administration's reversal on engaging Iran and Syria is significant news. To many who study the region closely, talks with neighboring countries represent the only glimmer of hope for the dire situation in Iraq.
The decision to join a regional meeting organized by the Iraqis has come only after getting the government of Nouri al-Maliki to arrive at an oil-sharing arrangement and is combined with some tough talk as well. Note Dick Cheney's remarks last week about all options being on the table with regard to Iran. This is because the administration "became convinced that the Iranians were not taking us seriously," said Philip Zelikow, former aide to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, in The New York Times. "So we've done some things to make them take us seriously, so now we can try diplomacy."
Whatever the strategy, the Bush administration's decision illustrates a more broad and willing mindset and it should be applauded by the Democrats in Congress who advocate a dialogue with Iran and Syria. Those lawmakers who have referenced the Iraq Study Group's approval of such an idea should give President Bush credit for changing his mind.
The decision to join a regional meeting organized by the Iraqis has come only after getting the government of Nouri al-Maliki to arrive at an oil-sharing arrangement and is combined with some tough talk as well. Note Dick Cheney's remarks last week about all options being on the table with regard to Iran. This is because the administration "became convinced that the Iranians were not taking us seriously," said Philip Zelikow, former aide to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, in The New York Times. "So we've done some things to make them take us seriously, so now we can try diplomacy."
Whatever the strategy, the Bush administration's decision illustrates a more broad and willing mindset and it should be applauded by the Democrats in Congress who advocate a dialogue with Iran and Syria. Those lawmakers who have referenced the Iraq Study Group's approval of such an idea should give President Bush credit for changing his mind.
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