Azerbaijan, Baku, 14 November / Trend corr. D.Ibrahimova / Idea of involving Iran into solution of Afghanistan's problem mostly favors the US interests towards Iran, experts believes.
Barack Obama's Administration stated that they would seek to involve Iran into stabilization of situation in Afghanistan.
Diplomatic relations between Iran and the United States were broken off about 30 years ago after hostage-taking at the US Embassy in Iran. In response, US President Jimmy Carter signed Decree 12170, announcing state of emergency in connection with threat to national security, foreign policy and economy of the United States.
"I would not say that the United States is principally focused on solution of Afghanistan problem. The United States is focused on the nuclear issue first," Patrick Clawson, an American expert for Iran and deputy director of the American Centre for Middle Easter Investigations, told Trend .
The US military intervention into the Afghan territory began in 2001 and targeted to overthrow Taliban movement, as well as to capture leader of Al-Qaeda movement Osama bin Laden. The operation was delayed, but has not yet ceased. Obama made a statement in his pre-election campaign that situation in Afghanistan can be stabilized through increase of the US military contingent in the country and he will increase the number of military servicemen in the country after coming into power.
Experts believe that the last statement of Obama's administration on necessity of involving Iran into solution of Afghanistan's problem can be useful for beginning of the US-Iranian negotiations.
"In order to hand discussion with Iran, the United States must be prepared to talk about wide range of issues and hopefully Afghanistan is one of the issue where the United States and Iran have some common interest," Clawson told Trend via telephone.
The radical Islamic movement Taliban is the issue, where opinions of the United States and Iran coincide. "Both Iran and the United States have a lot of common interests in stabilizing Afghanistan," Karl Harbo, a member of the Security and Policy Development Institute, European expert for Afghanistan, who was head of delegation in Afghanistan from the European Commission, told Trend via e-mail. Besides, struggle against Taliban, both Iran and the United States are concentrated on struggle with drugs.
Harbo believes that negotiations between Iran and the United States on Afghanistan could be a point which could ease a potential dialogue as Obama has indicated in his pre-election campaign.
Taliban is a radical Islamic movement of the Sunni body, which emerged in Afghanistan in 1994. The movement urges the Afghan nation to unify under an Islam banner and to establish the Muslim state, as well as it demanded withdrawal of foreign troops from the Afghan territory. Participant of Taliban movement are engaged in subversive activities and often realize terror attacks, which kill civil people. Iran accepts Taliban as its enemy and threat for its security.
According to Harbo, Iran has always been very anti Taliban before 9/11, as well as Iran has always been a constructive partner of the international community in Afghanistan.
"It will be easy for Iran to activate negotiation process with Afghanistan," Hasan Hanizadeh, an Iranian expert for the Middle Easter and Asian policy, believes.
It can be explained that these countries have a great history and ancient close relations.
Moreover, so far the Iranian nuclear issue has not been yet solved, as the United States do not believe in extremely peace character of the Iranian nuclear program, although it has not yet got the opposite evidence on this matter. The United States has not been capable to persuade the international community to adopt tougher actions about Iran's nuclear program.
In this situation the United States must show that it makes extra effort to solve the problems with Iran," expert Clawson believes.
"The United States tries to show that it is prepared to engage Iran and talk with Iranian leaders if the United States wants international support for tougher measures even if Iran does not agree to stop his nuclear activities as the Security Council ordered it to stop," Clawson said.
As the United States knows that the Iranian nuclear problem cannot be solved through use of military action, the country seeks for new opportunities to expand sanctions against Iran. Moreover, the United States knows very well that it cannot have peace in Afghanistan if it attacks Iran or threatens it, believes Harbo. It is explained with Iran's great influence in Afganistan.
According to Harbo, in future the United States and Iran may cooperate with respect to Afghanistan, whilst American expert Clawson has doubts about similar cooperation, as the question is whether the Iranian Government is prepared to cooperate with the United States because it does not like the United States."
Iran will agree on cooperation, when Obama officially publicizes his policy, Iranian expert Hanizadeh said.
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