Israel Matzav

Kerry to Tehran?

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry wants to become the first senior American official to travel to Iran since the Islamic revolution in 1979. The Obama administration will not oppose is in favor of the move.

"This sounds like the kind of travel a chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee would -- and should -- undertake," said a White House official, adding it would be at Sen. Kerry's own behest.

It's unclear whether Iran would welcome the visit, and it would be controversial within both countries. The Iranian government has rebuffed other recent White House efforts to establish a direct dialogue.

The Obama administration hasn't decided whether to make Sen. Kerry its official representative if he goes, but as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Kerry can visit if the White House and Tehran both approve.

Many opponents of Tehran's regime oppose such a visit, fearing it would lend legitimacy to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at a time when his government is under continuing pressure from protests and opposition figures. Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets again this week to voice their opposition to the government following the death of a reformist cleric.

"We've eschewed high-level visits to Iran for the last 30 years. I think now -- when the Iranian regime's fate is less certain than ever -- is not the best time to begin," said Karim Sadjadpour, an Iran analyst at Washington's Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

"The wrong message would be sent to the Iranian people by such a high-level visit: The U.S. loves dictatorial regimes," said Hossein Askari, a professor at George Washington University and former adviser to Iranian governments.

Scott Johnson does a nice job of summing up the Obama approach.

"Engagement" with America's enemies is a cornerstone of Obama's foreign policy, such as it is. In the pursuit of engagement with Iran Obama has all but prostrated himself. In return he has received Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's repeated thumb in his eye.

Indeed. What could go wrong?

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 7:50 AM