While Ben Affleck’s Oscar-nominated film Argo has refocused attention on the 1979 Iran hostage crisis, two former hostages argue that the lessons of the crisis are very relevant to modern U.S. policy toward Iran. As the U.S. restarts talks with Iran on February 26, former U.S. hostages Amb. Bruce Laingen and Amb. John Limbert are calling for sustained and comprehensive diplomacy to prevent war and an Iranian nuclear weapon.
Obama Addresses Key National Security Issues in State of the Union
“Lessening the dangers posed by nuclear weapons and nuclear weapons usable materials is a vital national security and fiscal priority,” said Kingston Reif, director of non-proliferation programs at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation. “There is an emerging bipartisan and military consensus that a significantly smaller stockpile would meet our security needs. In this time of economic uncertainty, further reductions with Russia could create significant cost savings that would free funding for higher priority security programs.”
Optimistic in Almaty? How to Move the Iran Impasse Forward
Should we be optimistic about the Iran and P5+1 talks scheduled for February 26? Laicie and I contributed our take on the matter to LobeLog. Here’s an excerpt:
“…what lies behind us is far less important than what lies ahead. The hopeful or ominous developments of the past few months only matter insofar as they signal what negotiators will or won’t be willing to put on the table. To that end, it’s worth speculating not just about what this new centrifuge and that new statement might mean, but also about what compromises could be made to make this round the one that matters.”
For more on what optimists should hope to see in Kazakhstan later this month, check out the piece over at LobeLog.
Optimistic in Almaty? How to Move the Iran Impasse Forward
Published in the Lobe Log on February 8, 2013. Article summary below, click here to read full article. By Laicie Heeley and Usha Sahay After months of deliberation, Iranian negotiators and representatives of the 6-world power P5+1 negotiating team have agreed to meet on February 26 in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Hopeful watchers may read some symbolism […]
On Hagel, Kerry, and Iran (But not necessarily in that order…)
Two more pieces in PolicyMic this week, so be sure to take a look. You can find the links and a couple of clips below.
