Obama in Discreet Talks with Iran and Syria (Daily Times, PAKISTAN)

Nuclear non-proliferation experts had several ‘very, very high-level’ contacts with Iranian leaders in last few months.
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U.S. President Barack Obama has already used experts within the last few months to hold high-level but discreet talks with both Iran and Syria, organisers of the meetings told AFP.

Officially, Obama’s overtures toward both Tehran and Damascus have remained limited. In an interview broadcast on Monday, Obama said the United States would offer arch-foe Iran an extended hand of diplomacy if the Islamic Republic’s leaders “unclenched their fist”. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned that the Israeli-Syrian track of the Middle East peace negotiations took a back seat to the Israeli-Palestinian track, especially because of the recent war in Gaza. However, even before winning the November 4 election, Obama unofficially used what experts call “track two” discussions to approach America’s two foes in the region.

High-level contacts: Nuclear non-proliferation experts had several “very, very high-level” contacts in the last few months with Iranian leaders, said Jeffrey Boutwell, executive director for the US branch of the Pugwash group, an international organisation of scientists which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1995.

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