The Foreign Service Journal, May 2008

A Step Toward Reducing Tension There is no practical reason why such talks, if initiated by the Bush administration, could not be con- cluded early next year by its succes- sor. In any case, merely initiating such negotiations would be a positive step, while success would increase confidence that other steps could be taken to reduce tension in the region and could facilitate broader under- standings that would benefit all par- ties. U.S.-Iranian relations have been burdened for too long with a legacy of confrontation and misunderstand- ing. Talks to reduce the potential for additional misunderstanding and miscalculation between our forces in the Gulf could come to be seen as a turning point in the disastrous down- ward spiral of the bilateral relation- ship since the 1979-1981 U.S. embassy hostage crisis. After all, it is the tensions among, and between, the regional actors in the Middle East that are fundamen- tal. Given U.S. interests and our pres- ence in the area, these issues have fed into and nurtured enmity between Washington and Tehran. A coopera- tive venture such as a naval agree- ment would facilitate understandings between the local players, thereby making the environment more stable and secure for all. Benjamin Tua is a retired Foreign Service officer who served in the for- mer Soviet Union, Israel, Japan, the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs and the Nuclear Risk Reduction Cen- ter, among other assignments. He is currently an independent analyst. 16 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / M A Y 2 0 0 8 S P E A K I N G O U T Events like this go back to 1987 when the U.S. was protecting Kuwaiti oil tankers in the Persian Gulf toward the end of the Iran-Iraq War. Interim Accommodations for Corporate and Government Markets Apartments, Townhouses & Single Family Homes “FOR THE EXECUTIVE ON THE MOVE” finder5@IX.netcom.com Locations throughout Northern Virginia and D.C. Units fully furnished, equipped and accessorized Many “Walk to Metro” locations Pet Friendly 5105-L Backlick Road, Annandale, Virginia Tel: (703) 354-4070 Fax: (703) 642-3619 Executive Lodging Alternatives