Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Clinton to Engage Iran and Syria Soon

In the WSJ, here
"...Sen. Clinton said she would oversee a newly empowered State Department that would play a larger role in projecting U.S. influence overseas. Many U.S. officials, including Defense Secretary Robert Gates, have voiced concerns that the military has been drawn into too many aspects of foreign affairs, including diplomacy and economic development. ...
President-elect Barack Obama's pledge to directly engage U.S. adversaries, such as Iran and Syria, was a hot-button issue during last year's presidential campaign. Sen. Clinton at one stage called Mr. Obama "naive" for thinking diplomacy alone could change the practices of despotic governments in Tehran, Damascus and Pyongyang.Tuesday, however, Sen. Clinton indicated that, as Washington's top diplomat, she would quickly push ahead with Mr. Obama's engagement strategy.....
Some Iran experts have suggested the new U.S. administration should refrain from reaching out to Tehran until after June presidential elections, fearing it could bolster hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. But Sen. Clinton said in written testimony that Washington might not have the luxury to wait that long, given Iran's rapid expansion of its nuclear program......"I believe that engaging directly with Syria increases the possibility of making progress in changing Syrian behavior," Sen. Clinton said in her written testimony, noting Washington would directly support Syrian-Israeli peace talks..."

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