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In economic jargon Iraq is a “lose-lose” situation. In strategic and political terms it is one big mess. The question – “There are two kinds of land mines: the kind that explodes when you step on it, and the kind that explodes when you take your foot off. Which one is Iraq?” – already contains the answer. Iraq is both.
I envy the Brits for having Tony Blair as their leader. I remember walking the streets of West Belfast twenty-five years ago. Northern Ireland’s "troubles" seemed to be never-ending. So who could believe that one day the Protestant Rev. Ian Paisley and the Catholic former terrorist Martin McGuinness would be sharing the same government? Who could envision that one day Northern Ireland would witness the end of its bloody history? And it was the British premier, Toni Blair, with his determination, vision, religious beliefs and strong sense of humanity who made it possible.
It is premature to ask what the right agenda would be for the next round of U.S.-Iran talks. It is too early to judge and make predictions because this round's negotiations are not near completion. We know why the U.S. decided to meet the Iranians: it is out of despair for the mess in Iraq. In search of an exit policy, the Bush administration has come to an unfortunately late realization that without an Iranian hand, the chances of stabilizing Iraq are very slim to nonexistent.
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