With Israeli Settlements Out Of The Way, Let's Talk Iran!

The timing is just right--now that the US is not going to push Israel on a settlement freeze, the Senate is telling Obama to get on the ball with Iran:

Senators to Obama: Pressure Iran

A bipartisan slate of senators urged President Obama to increase pressure on Iran in nuclear talks.


The major powers, including the United States, concluded talks Tuesday in Geneva aimed at getting Iran to make transparent its nuclear program. The parties agreed to reconvene in Istanbul in January.

In a letter Monday, six U.S. senators -- three from each caucus, and all continuing into the next Congress -- called on Obama to increase the pressure.

"It is absolutely essential that the United States and its partners make clear to the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran that we intend to keep ratcheting up this pressure through comprehensive enforcement of existing sanctions as well as imposition of new measures," it said.

After all, thanks to Wikileaks we now know that the Arab world wants pressure on Iran to stop its nuclear program--and that the issue of Israel and peace talks takes second place with them in importance.

So, what should be expect?

In recent days, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has said that the United States again is ready to switch to a posture of engagement.

And how did that engagement go?

Niles Gardiner at The Telegraph notes that Hillary was humiliated by Iran for her trouble:

Policies of “engagement” with hostile powers are always risky, and frequently lead to embarrassment, as Hillary Clinton discovered last weekend in Bahrain. Foreign Policy.com has a revealing article today detailing the Secretary of State’s futile attempts to greet Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki at the 2010 IISS Manama Security Dialogue, where she was the featured speaker. According to Foreign Policy’s report:

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton tried to speak with Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki twice on Friday, pursuing him both inside and outside the gala dinner here at the Ritz Carlton in Manama. But Mottaki deliberately avoided contact with her both times…

So can we now get down to some serious business no--and listen to those Senators?

Technorati Tag: Iran and Hillary Clinton.