Cannot be true, right? According to this article the U.S. will announce plans in the next month to establish a U.S.-interest section in Tehran. (H/T NRO.) The sourcing on the story is thin, but it feels like a trial balloon. The story does note that William Burns, announced yesterday as the man Condoleezza Rice is sending to meet directly with Iran on nuclear matters, “said in testimony to Congress last week the United States was looking to opening up an interest section in Tehran but had not made a decision yet.” Those comments came in an exchange with Congresswoman Diane Watson from California. She said: “I understand that Secretary Rice said about the possible opening of a U.S. interests section in Iran and I’d like you to comment on that.” Burns responded that the U.S. was looking to “increase” its interactions with the Iranian people: “The idea of the intersection, as Secretary Rice suggested, is an interesting one. And it’s one that’s worth looking at carefully. I can’t go beyond that in terms of, you know, talking about our internal deliberations.” Moments later, Burns acknowledged that “Iran remains the main supporter of international terrorism and continues to provide tangible support to Hezbollah, to Hamas, to Palestinian Islamic Jihad, to any other extremist groups who threaten anybody’s hopes for a better future in the Middle East.” So despite the fact that Iran has refused to suspend its uranium enrichment program, has been actively supplying EFPs killing American soldiers in Iraq and remains the world’s foremost state sponsor of terrorism, the Bush administration is considering an interest section in Tehran?
