U.S. to establish presence in Tehran

[grantcart]

Source: Guardian (UK) Confirmed by CNN

LONDON (Reuters) - The United States will announce in the next month that it plans to establish a diplomatic presence in Tehran for the first time in 30 years, a British newspaper said on Thursday.

In a front-page report, the Guardian said Washington would open a U.S. interests section in the Iranian capital, halfway towards opening an embassy.

The unsourced report by the newspaper's Washington correspondent said: "The Guardian has learned that an announcement will be made in the next month to establish a U.S. interests section in Tehran, a halfway house to setting up a full embassy.

"The move will see US diplomats stationed in the country."


Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSL1611455720080717?feedType=RSS&feedName=politicsNews

---

After 30 years of no contact the United States is now dramatically reversing its course and will quickly speed up its rapproachment with Iran.

In a stunning reversal of the neocon hardline position, the Bush administration is going ahead with not only infrequent contacts and other incremental steps but has confirmed a report that it will be opening a low level office in Iran with American diplomats posted there.

IMHO this is reversal of Cheney and the neocon hold on power and signals that Gates has been able to restore traditional State and Defense Department roles that previous White Houses have all had. It also indicates that Rice has evidently tired of the neo con ideology and is moving to make the State Department an actual part of the government.

It also reflects an increasing independent roll (as intended) of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

These combined movements work to enhance the policy objectives of Obama and completely undermine the militaristic drama of the McCain campaign.

I have further analysis here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x6510670

[seemslikeadream]

1. georgie can not attack Iran now they've signed a deal with Russia

I think it's called CHECKMATE


OIL that is


http://en.rian.ru/world/20080713/113855321.html

TEHRAN, July 13 (RIA Novosti) - Russian energy giant Gazprom and Iran's Ministry of Petroleum will sign on Sunday a memorandum of cooperation in the oil and gas sphere, an Iranian deputy oil minister said.

"Interaction between Iran and Russia in all spheres and especially in the energy sphere is very wide. We expect to further broaden this cooperation in the future," Hossein Noghrehkar Shirazi said.

Shirazi said a series of discussions would precede the signing of the cooperation memorandum.

Iran ranks fourth in terms of crude reserves after Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Kuwait, as well as fourth in terms of oil production after Saudi Arabia, the United States and Russia. Iran's proven gas reserves total more than 28 trillion cubic meters.

[grantcart]

3. you could be right but I think that the bank runs of the past week and

the problems of Fannie Mae etc are a more pressing problem.

My reason is this - if it were the Russians or any other outside reason they could continue to saber rattle and not attack.


Now however they are not only not attacking they putting away the saber.


Last week the commanding general in Iraq said the US would not be giving Israel over fly rights to attack Iran.

[Baby Snooks]

5. The chessboard of Iran...

Iran has always had an alliance with Russia. It was forged by Princess Ashraf when she was 18 and traveled on her own to meet with Stalin.

The Bushes have always been duplicitious in their dealings and no doubt will prove to be duplicitious in this as well.

The Russians of course are good at chess. Particularly on the chessboard known as Iran.

[Pavulon]

6. Nyet

there is no mutual aid agreement between Iran and Russia.

So if Israel lays waste to their nuclear sites, the Russians are not going to jump in.

[seemslikeadream]

11. I told you before this is about a contract with Iran

Russian interests are at stake
­
and the only pipeline being built is by Argentina, ­ Bridas Corporation

[Pavulon]

12. Again, this is like saying nafta = NATO(nt)

[seemslikeadream]

15. no it is not

georgie lost his fight and took America down with him

[RT Atlanta]

2. this is "appeasement" ...

and I demand we immediately stop this action!

(Had one last little bit of sarcasm in me for the day).

[grantcart]

4. Here is Bolton calling appeasement on yesterday's announcement that we would send a diplomat

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ESWRY3YOX8o

[SpiralHawk]

7. Commander AWOL = Republicon terrorist appeaser

Ollie North = Republcion terrorist enabler

[peacetalksforall]

8. I still call 'caution'. We know how these people have betrayed us.

We can't trust Gates, Mukasey, and though I feel there truly are mil brass who are against the invasion of Iran for the geography of the deal, who knows which brass is winning.

This could all be part of a scenario to show how far we went to try to 'get along' with Iran and them bammmm.

I will never trust Cheney and his batallions and I will never feel easy until I know all their followers, supporters, and sponsors have abandoned the pursuit of ownership of people and the resources of their countries - which means not until they have passed away or have renounced their actions and roles.

No one as passionate as they are about ownership, destruction, theft, lies, abuse, and contempt as we know about it - will renounce their path (looking backwards or forward).

How can we trust them? They have NEVER earned trust.

[fascisthunter]

10. .

:thumbsup:

[grantcart]

17. I agree with you about Mukasey but disagree about Gates.

[tidy_bowl]

9. This is really a ploy......

....for a future attack on Iran. Why? Because a few Iranian students may get it into their heads to raid the office to hold Americans hostage and then Bush can attack them. I seem to remember a similar thing happening at one time, somebody help me remember here please.

:sarcasm:

[Purveyor]

13. Have the Iranians agreed to this or is it just a neocon pipedream to establish a intel gathering/

propaganda base in Tehran?

[Pavulon]

14. We get intel from there

without an embassy... "Please do not kidnap me" during revolution. b

[Purveyor]

16. Real intel or the fabricated "Chalabi" type of info? eom

[peacetalksforall]

18. I would say real, but who knows what is done with it. They don't have

to go in to Iran to get Chalabi type info. The equivalents of Chalabi are not in Iran - they are in Paris, London, New York, Washington. imo. It was about four to five years ago that there were links to info about intel sending in a new team to spy. And it was in the summer of 2005 that Rice (NSC or one of the N's) said that Iran would not have nuclear bomb capability for another 10 years. I believe it was 10. An added statement was that it could be earlier if they were able to get all the supplies. The number got shorter with each Cheney, Ledeen, Bolton, Feith, Bush statement about the threat from Iran.

[grantcart]

19. The Iranians would like to normalize diplomatic relations