U.S. wants Iran in on Afghanistan talks

Looks like the Obama administration has been reading Parag Khanna. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today acknowledged that all of Afghanistan’s neighbors will have to be involved if the NATO intervention is ever to succeed. Iran looks likely to be on the invite list for a proposed conference on Afghanstan to be held this month.  ...

By , International Crisis Group’s senior analyst for Colombia.

Looks like the Obama administration has been reading Parag Khanna. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today acknowledged that all of Afghanistan's neighbors will have to be involved if the NATO intervention is ever to succeed. Iran looks likely to be on the invite list for a proposed conference on Afghanstan to be held this month. 

Looks like the Obama administration has been reading Parag Khanna. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today acknowledged that all of Afghanistan’s neighbors will have to be involved if the NATO intervention is ever to succeed. Iran looks likely to be on the invite list for a proposed conference on Afghanstan to be held this month. 

It’s a bold move with the potential of reopening negotiations between the United States and Iran — on an issue of great importance to both countries.

And also not a bad move, if my diplomatic analysis counts for anything; the two spatting countries might even find some common ground. As Khanna pointed out, Iran is rapidly building up commercial investment in the country, and would surely prefer a stable host for its work. 

Elizabeth Dickinson is International Crisis Group’s senior analyst for Colombia.

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