Obama has begun discreet talks with Iran, Syria

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

WASHINGTON (AFP) – US President Barack Obama has already used experts within the last few months to hold high-level but discreet talks with both Iran and Syria, organizers of the meetings told AFP.

Officially, Obama's overtures toward both Tehran and Damascus have remained limited.

In an interview broadcast Monday, Obama said the United States would offer arch-foe Iran an extended hand of diplomacy if the Islamic Republic's leaders "unclenched their fist."

Meanwhile, his secretary of state Hillary Clinton warned that the Israeli-Syrian track of the Middle East peace negotiations took a back seat to the Israeli-Palestinian track, especially because of the recent war in Gaza.

However, even before winning the November 4 election, Obama unofficially used what experts call "track two" discussions to approach America's two foes in the region.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090201/pl_afp/usdiplomacyiransyria_20090201052529


Naive

stupid

and criminal (Logan Act).

And all this has done is open Pony McHope-coke to being badgered and mocked.

[Atomic Lib Smasher]

Not much else you can expect from a guy who drops "War on terror for something more Oprahesque. God, this guy is a huge ***** who's gonna end up getting Americans killed.
 

[Wretched Excess]

we're going to get hit again.  I just hope that the shoe bomber is indicative of the caliber of their second string after their "A team" got their reward of 72 raisins in paradise on September 12.

[TheSarge]

we're going to get hit again.  I just hope that the shoe bomber is indicative of the caliber of their second string after their "A team" got their reward of 72 raisins in paradise on September 12.

No they've had a LOT of time to seek out and find a caliber of people close to that of those that pulled of 9/11.

[Wretched Excess]

No they've had a LOT of time to seek out and find a caliber of people close to that of those that pulled of 9/11.

yeah, but at the same time, we've been killing potential next-attackers in droves in places like iraq and afghanistan for quite a few years.  one would hope that has at least made recruiting more difficult.

[TheSarge]

yeah, but at the same time, we've been killing potential next-attackers in droves in places like iraq and afghanistan for quite a few years.  one would hope that has at least made recruiting more difficult.

To a certain point...you're correct.  But we have absolutely no idea what they've been doing or preparing for up there in Waziristan.  We cant touch them and the ISI feeds them intel.

But whatever they've got planned...I doubt it will look like anything close to the last attack. 

The scenarios that pop into my head scare the hell out of me.

[Wretched Excess]

To a certain point...you're correct.  But we have absolutely no idea what they've been doing or preparing for up there in Waziristan.  We cant touch them and the ISI feeds them intel.

But whatever they've got planned...I doubt it will look like anything close to the last attack. 

The scenarios that pop into my head scare the hell out of me.

we have had a much better idea for the past several years than we are going to have for the next several, that is for damned sure.

[DumbAss Tanker]

"Discreet talks" that are featured in a news story are like the classic "Little bit pregnant."  Yet another thing I don't see ending well, but one which will probably take a couple of years to really turn into Grade A crap.

[Wretched Excess]

"Discreet talks" that are featured in a news story are like the classic "Little bit pregnant."  Yet another thing I don't see ending well, but one which will probably take a couple of years to really turn into Grade A crap.

leaking the news that discreet talks are being held totally defeats the purpose of the discretion in the first place.