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Role For Iran Seen In Afghanistan

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The New York Times

Published: February 16, 2009

KABUL - President Barack Obama's top envoy to Afghanistan declared Sunday that Iran should play a vital role helping stabilize the war-torn country. It was the latest statement by Obama officials signaling a clear shift away from the Bush administration's policy of avoiding direct engagement with Tehran.

The Obama administration has been very critical of Iran's suspected pursuit of a nuclear weapon and support for terrorist groups, but the comments here Sunday by Richard C. Holbrooke appeared to suggest that the new administration might also seek to use discussions with Iran about Afghanistan to establish a broader dialogue.

Obama has said that he will reach out to Iran for direct talks and last week the Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, said that Iran was ready. The two nations have not spoken directly since Iran's Islamic Revolution 30 years ago.
Holbrooke flew to India on Sunday night after making his first visits to Pakistan and Afghanistan as Obama's special envoy to the two countries, part of the new administration's review of U.S. policy in the region from the ground up. As security in Iraq has improved, Pakistan and Afghanistan have emerged as perhaps the most difficult foreign-policy challenges facing Obama, who is already weighing whether to double the American troop deployment in Afghanistan to about 60,000.

Earlier on Sunday, Holbrooke and the Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, appeared at a hastily arranged photo opportunity in Kabul to announce that Afghan officials would participate in a strategic review of American policy in Afghanistan.

They also emphasized their commitment to hold Afghan elections in August, and applauded an agreement between the American and Afghan militaries aimed at decreasing the civilian toll from American and NATO airstrikes and ground missions.

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