#3: Use incentives: Edwards believes we should also use "carrots"--diplomatic measures to convince Iran to abandon its nuclear ambitions and support of terrorism. Iran, which right now cannot even process its own oil and imports the majority of its fuel, needs greater energy resources. We should draw Iran into compliance through incentives including increased refinery capacity. We should also lead a multilateral effort to create a regional fuel bank that Iran could use for peaceful purposes. Finally, we should use the possibility of bringing Iran into multilateral economic organizations, including the WTO, to draw Iran's elites into pressuring the regime to change course and abandon its nuclear ambitions.
#4: Reengage with Iran: We should chart a new course for diplomatic relations with Iran by expanding low-level talks between government officials on both sides in a neutral country. The goal of these talks should be to find a path out of the log-jam created by the Bush administration and, ultimately, to achieve full diplomatic relations. But Edwards believes we must always negotiate from a position of strength. Any higher-level meeting should only happen if we verify that the meetings will promote America's national security interests and will not be used for propaganda or other improper purposes.
#5: Reengage with other major nations on the challenge of Iran: We must work with China and Russia on the problem of Iran's nuclear ambitions. Both nations have economic relationships with Iran on trade and energy. But both nations also have a strong interest in stability in the Middle East. And neither nation wants the nuclear club to expand. In place of the wayward and ad hoc diplomacy of the Bush Administration, we need more effective and strategic reengagement with both China and Russia. We need to make Iran a top-level priority in our bilateral relationships with both countries. We must work with both Russia and China on how they can achieve their economic goals through alternatives that will not assist Iran's military nuclear capability. In the first year of his administration, Edwards will convene a conference with his Secretary of State and representatives from the "E.U. 3"--Great Britain, France, and Germany--Russia, China--and Iran. At this conference, we should discuss a way out of the stalemate caused by the Bush administration.
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