Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Hillary at the Hague with Iranian Delegation


Hillary is at the Hague in the Netherlands for the Afghanistan conference, but what's really making news are the signs of a potential thaw between the U.S. and Iran.

Madam Secretary: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrives on March 31 with Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen for the start of the international conference on Afghanistan in The Hague. Afghanistan's international backers, including Iran, are gathering to try to bring new impetus to efforts to combat the Taliban-led insurgency, help spread democracy, and rebuild.

The conference will mark one of the highest-level diplomatic engagements between American and Iranian officials since the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran, although Mrs. Clinton said she doesn't know whether she will speak directly to Mr. Akhundzadeh or other Iranian diplomats.