(Military Times) Op-Ed: Tough Love for Tehran

[unhappycamper]

Tough Love for Tehran
Peter Brookes | February 17, 2009

Apropos of this Valentine's Day just past, there's a lot of flirting going on between the United States and Iran, leading some to day-dream of improved relations between the long-time foes.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the two sides should "seek a better understanding of one another." President Barack Obama noted "direct engagement" is possible if Iran is willing to "unclench" its fist.

Even Iran proclaimed it's ready for dialogue, shockingly coming from hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a speech commemorating the Iranian Revolution's 30th anniversary.

An opening? Perhaps.

But better take a gander at the speed bumps and potholes that lie ahead on Lover's Lane.


Rest of article at: http://www.military.com/opinion/0,15202,185157,00.html?wh=news



uhc comment: About Peter Brookes



Peter Brookes is a Senior Fellow for national security affairs at the Heritage Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank. He is also a weekly columnist for the New York Post. Brookes frequently appears on cable news such as FOX, CNN, and MSNBC as well as hosts major market radio talk shows. He is the author of: "A Devil's Triangle: Terrorism, Weapons of Mass Destruction and Rogue States."

Before coming to Heritage, Brookes served in the Bush administration as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian-Pacific Affairs. Prior to the Pentagon, he worked as a staff member with the Republican staff of the Committee on International Relations in the House of Representatives. Brookes also served with the CIA's Directorate of Operations, and worked on international economic issues for the State Department at the U.N.

He also served in the U.S. Navy, including active duty in tours in Panama and Japan in aviation and intelligence/cryptologic billets. He has over 1300 flight hours aboard Navy EP-3 aircraft. Brookes is a Commander in the naval reserves. He is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy; the Defense Language Institute; the Naval War College; and the Johns Hopkins University.