[Peace-discuss] NIAC: Former officials call for Obama to reinvigorate Iran diplomacy

[Robert Naiman]

There is a bipartisan Congressional letter led by Dent and Price
circulating with the same idea: let's give talks with new pro-diplomacy guy
a chance before escalating further. If you're the sort of person who
occasionally deigns to interact with your Representative's office, now
would be a good time. As of 3 days ago, the Dent-Price letter had more than
50 signers. The letter closes Wednesday.

The Dent-Price letter is mirrored here:

http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/dent-price


   <http://www.niacouncil.org/site/R?i=-XyLktFBhW-bDmuFoan2gg>

*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*
Contact: Jamal Abdi
Phone: 202-386-6408
Email: jabdi at niacouncil.org

Washington, DC - Twenty-nine prominent former government officials,
diplomats, military officers, and national security experts are calling on
the White House to pursue direct negotiations with Iran once the country's
new president, Hassan Rouhani, is inaugurated. In a letter to President
Obama today, the group called the election of Iran's new president "a major
potential opportunity to reinvigorate diplomatic efforts to resolve the
standoff over Iran’s nuclear program."

The letter comes as Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has called for
ratcheting up sanctions and threats of military action, and Congress is
reportedly mulling a new round of sanctions. The letter cautions that
"diplomacy will only succeed if we are prepared to leverage existing
sanctions and other incentives in exchange for reciprocal Iranian
concessions," and said that "in the leadup to Rouhani’s inauguration, it is
critical that all parties abstain from provocative actions that could
imperil this diplomatic opportunity."

"It remains to be seen whether this opportunity will yield real results,"
reads the letter. "But the United States, Iran, and the rest of the
international community cannot afford to miss or dismiss the potential
opportunity before us."

The full letter is below:

*July 15, 2013*

*The Honorable Barack H. Obama
President of the United States of America
The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500 *

*Dear President Obama,*

*The election of Hassan Rouhani to be Iran’s next president presents a
major potential opportunity to reinvigorate diplomatic efforts to resolve
the standoff over Iran’s nuclear program. We strongly encourage your
Administration to seize the moment to pursue new multilateral and bilateral
negotiations with Iran once Rouhani takes office and to avoid any
provocative action that could narrow the window of opportunity for a more
moderate policy out of Tehran.*

*Once the new president has been inaugurated, the United States should
pursue coordinated multilateral engagement on the nuclear issue through the
P5+1. Additionally, the U.S. should prepare to redouble its efforts to
pursue direct, bilateral negotiations with Iran to engage on issues beyond
the nuclear file, such as human rights and regional security. After
assessing the orientation of the new Iranian government, the U.S. and
partners should prepare to offer a new set of proposals to limit Iran’s
enrichment and nuclear materials stockpiles combined with stringent
oversight and verification measures.*

*While it will take time to secure an agreement to resolve all concerns,
diplomacy will only succeed if we are prepared to leverage existing
sanctions and other incentives in exchange for reciprocal Iranian
concessions. Further, in the leadup to Rouhani’s inauguration, it is
critical that all parties abstain from provocative actions that could
imperil this diplomatic opportunity. For the U.S., no further sanctions
should be imposed or considered at this time as they could empower
hardliners opposed to nuclear concessions at the expense of those seeking
to shift policy in a more moderate direction.*

*It remains to be seen whether this opportunity will yield real results.
But the United States, Iran, and the rest of the international community
cannot afford to miss or dismiss the potential opportunity before us. In
the past, when one side has failed to seize an opportunity to resolve the
standoff between the U.S. and Iran, it has only produced worse outcomes and
diminishing options. Given the current state of Iran’s nuclear capability,
the heightened tensions in the region, and the potential for a
confrontation, all parties involved should be ready and willing to seize
this opportunity to achieve diplomatic progress towards a peaceful
resolution of the standoff.*

*Sincerely,*

*Barry Blechman, co-founder of the Stimson Center*

*Prof. Juan Cole, University of Michigan*

*Prof. Farideh Farhi, University of Hawai'i at Manoa*

*Amb. Chas Freeman, former US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia*

*Lt. General Robert G. Gard, Jr. Former President of National Defense
University*

*Col. Sam Gardiner, United States Air Force, Retired*

*Morton Halperin, former Special Assistant to the President, Senior
Director for Democracy at the National Security Council, and State
Department Director of Policy Planning*

*General Joseph P. Hoar, former Commander in Chief, United States Central
Command *

*Amb. Steen Hohw-Christensen, former Ambassador of Sweden to Iran*

*Amb. Peter Jenkins, former Ambassador of the UK to the IAEA*

*Amb. Dennis Jett, Professor of International Affairs, Penn State University
*

*Brig. General John Johns, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense*

*Larry Korb, former Assistant Secretary of Defense*

*Amb. John Limbert, Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Iran*

*Reza Marashi, former Iran Desk officer, US Department of State; Research
Director, National Iranian American Council*

*Alireza Nader, Iran analyst*

*Amb. François Nicoullaud, former Ambassador of France to Iran*

*Dr. Trita Parsi, President, National Iranian American Council *

*Bruno Pellaud, former Deputy Director General of the International Atomic
Energy Agency*

*Amb. Thomas Pickering, former Under Secretary of State*

*Paul Pillar, former National Intelligence Officer for the Near East and
South Asia, Central Intelligence Agency*

*Gary Sick, Iran specialist on National Security Council under Presidents
Ford, Carter and Reagan; Columbia University*

*Anne-Marie Slaughter, former State Department Director of Policy Planning *

***John Steinbruner, Director, Center for International and Security
Studies at Maryland, University of Maryland*

*Greg Thielman, former Director of the Strategic, Proliferation and
Military Affairs Office in the Department of State’s Bureau of Intelligence
and Research*

*Amb. Roberto Toscano, former Ambassador of Italy to Iran*

*Dr. Jim Walsh, Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Security Studies
Program (SSP)*

*Wayne White, former Deputy Director of the State Department's Bureau of
Intelligence *

*Col. Larry Wilkerson, former Chief of Staff to Gen. Colin Powell*



-- 
Robert Naiman
Policy Director
Just Foreign Policy
www.justforeignpolicy.org
naiman at justforeignpolicy.org
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