Saturday, September 02, 2006

Will oil impose US-Iranian reconciliation? by Hani Asfour

Following the recent war in Lebanon, there was much hype that a war with Iran would be next. Claims of a grand conspiracy have been circulating about a new Middle East composed of fractious ethno-states subservient to an all-powerful Israel. The prospect for war has become more palpable due to recent rumors that Israel's attack in Lebanon was a mere dress rehearsal for the real war with Tehran.

Despite Washington's cold reception of Iran's August 22 response to the nuclear offer from the Permanent Five and Germany, the White House's best move remains to engage Iran. Many high-level experts in the United States and Europe have been urging the Bush administration to talk to Tehran, including former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. US-Iran relations are at a "turning point," he has argued in the media, where Iran can become "a pillar of stability and progress in the region" if it is willing to forgo its revolutionary ethos.

Dialogue with Iran would address Iran's increasing regional responsibility, including its nuclear ambitions, its role in pacifying Iraq, and in disarming Hizbullah. Making progress on all these fronts serves larger American strategic goals for regional stability, especially Washington's imperative to secure the free flow of energy across Eurasia. The US must therefore carefully consider the following strategic concerns before deciding on any course of action.

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