US plans to station diplomats in Iran for first time since 1979
- added July 16, 2008
- 4 responses
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- jefftego
- added this
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The US is planning to establish a diplomatic presence in Tehran for the first time in 30 years, a remarkable turnaround in policy by president George Bush who has pursued a hawkish approach to Iran throughout his time in office.
The Guardian has learned that an announcement will be made in the next month to establish a US interests section in Tehran, a halfway house to setting up a full embassy. The move will see US diplomats stationed in the country.
The return of US diplomats to Iran is dependent on agreement by Tehran. But president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad indicated earlier this week that he is not against the opening of a US mission, saying Iran will consider favourably any request aimed at boosting relations between the two countries.
US interests in the country at present are looked after by the Swiss embassy. The British government restored its embassy in Tehran after Labour's 1997 general election victory as part of a policy of constructive diplomacy with countries that had previously been branded rogue states.
Creation of a US interest section would see diplomats stationed in Tehran for the first time since the hostage crisis that began when hundreds of students, as part of the Iranian revolution that led to fall of the Shah, stormed the US embassy in 1979 and held the occupants until 1981.
The special interests section would be similar to the one in Havana, Cuba. The US broke off relations with Cuba in 1961 after Castro's take-over but US diplomats returned in 1977.
The special interests section carries out all the functions of an embassy. It is in terms of protocol part of the Swiss embassy but otherwise is staffed by Americans and independent of the Swiss.
There has been an intense debate within the Bush administration over Iran, with the vice-president, Dick Cheney, in favour of a military strike against Iranian nuclear plants and the state department in favour of diplomacy.
The state department has been pressing the White House for the last two years to re-establish diplomatic relations with Tehran by setting up an interest section.
The Guardian has learned that an announcement will be made in the next month to establish a US interests section in Tehran, a halfway house to setting up a full embassy. The move will see US diplomats stationed in the country.
The return of US diplomats to Iran is dependent on agreement by Tehran. But president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad indicated earlier this week that he is not against the opening of a US mission, saying Iran will consider favourably any request aimed at boosting relations between the two countries.
US interests in the country at present are looked after by the Swiss embassy. The British government restored its embassy in Tehran after Labour's 1997 general election victory as part of a policy of constructive diplomacy with countries that had previously been branded rogue states.
Creation of a US interest section would see diplomats stationed in Tehran for the first time since the hostage crisis that began when hundreds of students, as part of the Iranian revolution that led to fall of the Shah, stormed the US embassy in 1979 and held the occupants until 1981.
The special interests section would be similar to the one in Havana, Cuba. The US broke off relations with Cuba in 1961 after Castro's take-over but US diplomats returned in 1977.
The special interests section carries out all the functions of an embassy. It is in terms of protocol part of the Swiss embassy but otherwise is staffed by Americans and independent of the Swiss.
There has been an intense debate within the Bush administration over Iran, with the vice-president, Dick Cheney, in favour of a military strike against Iranian nuclear plants and the state department in favour of diplomacy.
The state department has been pressing the White House for the last two years to re-establish diplomatic relations with Tehran by setting up an interest section.
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Which is it? We hear varied groups saying that the Bushites will probably strike Iran, and then that we welcome and want more of those "Access of evil" people to come to our country?
This is all such propoganda...
Of course we want relations... they have "Black gold," are you kidding me? -
Yeah, I can't quite figure out what this move is about. I don't think this is as much a turnaround in policy as it is inconsistency in policy.
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And the media crucified Barak for saying he would talk to terrorists. Then the Bushies let N Korea off the hook and want to talk to Iran now that they saw a couple of missiles.
I guess all you have to do to get GWB's attention is go active nuclear.-
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- GoodGodGuy
- 2 months ago
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It's Bushies way of hiding something, Bush and Co. are great at smole and mirrors. Bush and Co. has used some extrodinary tatics of distraction while operating in an entirely other arena they are great at distractions, Bush does not have the brains for this but someone in his organization does. He may be planning ahead for when he may face war crimes trials he can say he tried to establish peace in Iran with diplomacy or he may bomb it tomorrow. The man is a psychopath so who knows what devious things he is trying to accompolish. He has done nothing for anybody but himself so all I can think is beware because he is still not doing anything but something that will benefit himself some way. Iran has oil if he can't bomb them maybe he can talk them out of it.
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